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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315716">Between Two Worlds</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleeCastOST/pseuds/GleeCastOST'>GleeCastOST</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warrior Nun (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:14:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>37,607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleeCastOST/pseuds/GleeCastOST</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a difficult and emotional battle with Adriel, each of the sisters spends some time apart, on leave as ordered by Mother Superion. In trading emails back and forth, their friendships grow closer, making their reunion even more special. Will this bond be enough to guide them through the challenges that are still to come?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>150</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>447</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Ava</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm back, bitches.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>To:</b> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es]</p><p><b>From:</b> godschampion@OCS.com.es</p><p> </p><p>Hi guys!</p><p> </p><p>This is my first email, ever! I can’t believe it’s been two days since Mother Superion sent us all off. Well, everyone but me. It’s so boring here without you all. I know, I know, there’s other people here but I’m not FRIENDS with any of them. Anyways, here’s what I’ve done since I’ve been alone.</p><p> </p><p>- eat food</p><p>- sleep</p><p>- train</p><p>- study</p><p>- repeat</p><p> </p><p>Very glamorous, I know. I hope you are all doing well. Someone PLEASE email me back, I’m so bored. Don’t tell Superion I said that, okay? </p><p> </p><p>Bye!</p><p> </p><p>- Ava</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>With a sigh, Ava turned off the computer, just like Camila had shown her. The library was empty and dark, the sun had set hours ago. Ava looked at her reflection, dim in the monitor’s screen. A sudden sob escaped her and she folded in the chair. She wrapped her arms around her chest, tightly, as she tried to regain control of her mind. </p><p> </p><p>Flashes burned themselves into her mind, painfully distorting her grasp on reality. Adriel’s face. Blood. Her friends. Ava held in screams as she cowered, the flashes growing closer and closer, becoming more disorientating by the second. After several minutes of fighting, she managed to pull in a deep breath, then another. Soon, reality came flooding back in, and Ava felt as though she could breathe again. </p><p> </p><p>Shakingly, she got up from the chair and exited the library, taking care to turn off any remaining lights as she went. It must have been later that she realised, because the hallways leading to her room were conspicuously empty. Ava’s footsteps echoed against the cold stone. The emptiness of all of it made her ears ring. She hated being alone. </p><p> </p><p>Once she was back in her room, although it barely felt like hers, she sat on the bed. <em> Why didn’t I mention this in the email. </em> Ava laughed, although the sound she made was completely void of humour. Hollow. <em> You know exactly why you didn’t mention it. You wouldn’t want anyone to worry. Plus, how awkward would it be to say in a group email? Keep this to yourself, Ava. </em></p><p> </p><p>Slowly, Ava pulled off her shoes and changed into her pajamas. They were more modest than she would prefer, but this was a convent after all. <em> Even if they did train demon-fighting and totally badass nuns. </em>Laying down in bed, Ava didn’t find sleep immediately. She knew she wouldn’t, though, not since the battle.</p><p> </p><p>Since she was technically on a leave of absence, she wasn’t required to attend training sessions. Ava had been anyhow. When Mother Superion gave them permission to leave, everyone seemed excited. At least, somewhat. Ava, on the other hand, felt nothing. She had nowhere to go and no one to see. So, she went to training. <em> I definitely need it.  </em></p><p> </p><p>In the afternoons, she tried to study, although that was much harder. None of the library books were particularly well-organised, and Ava didn’t speak fifteen other languages, like everyone else around here. <em> You know who you’re thinking of. Don’t pretend like it’s everyone. </em>Even within her own thoughts, Ava was calling herself out. </p><p> </p><p><em> It’s Beatrice. You can say it’s Beatrice. </em> Ava’s heart raced at the thought. Of course, she had always thought Beatrice was pretty, although <em> everyone </em> at Cat’s Cradle was beautiful it seemed. It was more than that. Ever since Beatrice had worked with her at ArqTech, helping her phase through the wall, Ava had been feeling… <em> Something.  </em></p><p> </p><p>To say that Ava didn’t have a lot of experience with feelings would be a dramatic understatement. But Beatrice made her <em> feel. </em>When she had first gotten the halo, she thought she had a crush on JC. Ava realised now, perhaps a bit darkly, that he was just the first cute person she had run into. More importantly, he had been exceptionally nice to her. </p><p> </p><p>Without knowing anything about her, JC and his friends welcomed her into their little group. It had felt so real. Raw and personal. Looking back, however, it felt shallow. Ava thought about her relationships now, the new friendships she had forged with her sisters. These bonds were new too, of course, but they made Ava’s prior group seem shallow in comparison. </p><p> </p><p>Perhaps the most shallow was her attraction to JC. Ava felt, at least partially, guilty about this. He had done nothing wrong and given Ava more help than she had likely deserved. With barely an explanation, he was ready to sail away with her, embark on a grand adventure. It was kind and sweet, sure, but Ava found herself cringing at the naïvety. </p><p> </p><p>Her overwhelming attraction to Beatrice had only furthered her realisations. Every moment between them felt so <em> charged. </em> Ava felt her body burn with the lightest touch from Beatrice, whereas even <em> sex </em>with JC hadn’t made her feel the same. Granted, this realisation took a week for Ava to consciously acknowledge.</p><p> </p><p>Ava took a deep breath and turned onto her side. It was cold in her room, even though it was summer. She pulled the blanket over her shoulder and tried to relax. It’s not like she wasn’t tired, she was. Training in the heat for hours on end, only to spend the afternoon studying, was exhausting work. But, it was exhausting work that distracted Ava from the much darker emotions she was feeling, so she threw herself into it head first. </p><p> </p><p>Morning crept up on her, Ava didn’t even remember falling asleep. With about as much grace as a wounded animal, Ava dragged herself out of bed. Her hair left a lot to be desired this morning, a long night of disturbed sleep left it looking like a bird’s nest. Looking in the mirror, Ava chuckled at her appearance, but stopped abruptly. She turned around, thinking that she saw Adriel in the shadow behind her. </p><p> </p><p>In whipping around, however, it was obvious that there was no one there. Ava took a deep breath, feeling ashamed even though she was alone. With shaking hands, she pulled on her training clothes and tried to tame her hair. Eventually, she managed to pull it into a semi-decent ponytail. </p><p> </p><p>Slipping out the door, Ava briskly walked towards the dining room, only to find that she had missed breakfast. <em> Man, that sucks. My favourite part of the day… </em>With a kind smile, she managed to snag a few pieces of fruit from one of the nuns that worked in the kitchen. She ate these quickly, although they did little to quell the rumbling in her stomach. </p><p> </p><p>After her pitiful breakfast, Ava joined some of the other sisters in the training room. She had gotten friendly with a few of them and they all greeted her by name. Unfortunately, while everyone knew Ava’s name, she couldn’t return the favour. </p><p>“Good morning, Ava!” One of them called, cheerful, as she stretched on a mat.</p><p>“Good morning!” Ava answered, feeling like a poor halo bearer, a poor leader.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, everyone.” Mother Superion spoke from a platform at the back of the room. “We’ll be warming up with a run today.” A collective groan echoed against the high ceilings. “Then we’ll be drilling unarmed combat skills.” Ava could have sworn Mother Superion’s eyes lingered on her a moment longer than usual, but she didn’t dwell. Instead, she followed the rest of the women outside, to begin their run. </p><p> </p><p>Sweat poured into her eyes as she ran. Initially, she had planned to use this opportunity to chat with some of the other sisters and try to make some new friends. That plan quickly went out the window, though, as Ava struggled to breathe. The group had barely made it 300 yards when Ava started questioning her decision to attend training at all. <em> No, don’t question it. This is important. You might be the halo bearer, but you are still the weakest link of the group.  </em></p><p> </p><p>The rest of the training session passed without incident, although Ava failed, for the third day in a row, to make any new friends. Instead, after a quick shower, Ava was back in the library. No one seemed to ever come in and Ava idly wondered if Camila was the only one who ever actually used it. Thinking of Camila made Ava’s heart drop. <em> How had it only been three days? </em></p><p> </p><p>Instead of rushing to the computer, Ava forced herself to study the past warrior nuns for several hours. Only then, would she be allowed to check for any new emails. It was an oddly strict schedule, especially for someone like Ava to impose on herself. Yet, it seemed like the only thing keeping her from a complete downward spiral. If that’s what it takes, then that’s what she would do. </p><p> </p><p>After studying until dinner, then eating, Ava returned to the library with a new excitement. With a smile on her face, she turned the computer on, rubbing her hands together as it booted. Once the screen sprang to life, Ava’s heart jumped as she saw two new messages in her inbox. She never thought a notification icon could bring her so much joy, yet here she was, bouncing in her seat about a collection of pixels on a screen. </p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p><b>To:</b> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es], [godschampion@OCS.com.es]</p><p><b>From:</b> hellspawn@OCS.com.es</p><p> </p><p>Who decided on these email handles? They are horrible. </p><p> </p><p>I hope everyone is doing well. I’ve been in Portugal with a few family members, although I miss training with everyone. Ava, you better be taking training seriously and not just joking around all day.</p><p> </p><p>Lilith</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p><b>To:</b> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [godschampion@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es] </p><p><b>From:</b> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</p><p> </p><p>Lilith, </p><p> </p><p>I picked the email handles. Ava helped. I think they are ~fun~</p><p> </p><p>Everyone,</p><p> </p><p>Hi! I miss you all so much! It’s weird to think I’m only a few hours away from Cat’s Cradle, it feels like a world away. I hope everyone is doing well and taking care of themselves. Make sure you are eating and drinking water. Self-care is important. </p><p> </p><p>&lt;3 Camila</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>Ava smiled at the screen for several seconds, reading the messages over and over again. Neither of them were particularly long, but it was enough. Knowing that she wasn’t alone completely, even if the contact was through a screen, was enough for Ava. Deep down, however, she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed that there were no messages from Beatrice. Maybe tomorrow. After reading through the messages once more, Ava exited the library, just as she had done the day before. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Camila</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Camila spends time at home.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>its mental illness, innit?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Warm smells filled the air, a delicious symphony of savoury and sweet. Even though the summer air kept the house plenty warm, Camila’s family had no qualms about running the oven all day. She could feel sweat dripping down the back of her neck as she bustled around the kitchen, sharing laughs with her family members. Compared to her other sisters, Camila got to spend relatively more time with her family, since they only lived a few hours into the countryside. Also unlike her sisters however, Camila liked her family a lot more. This made the distance more difficult. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just to further complicate matters, Camila considered her sisters at Cat’s Cradle her second family. With a sigh, she realised that this meant she would always be missing someone, no matter where she was. She paused, deep in thought, to pull her thick curls into a ponytail. Instead of focusing on the negative, Camila used this moment to force herself to enjoy this time with family. Later, when she was alone, perhaps she could reflect more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, watch out </span>
  <em>
    <span>mijita</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Camila’s mom said, her tone light, as she balanced a hot tray of cookies around her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Lo siento, </span>
  </em>
  <span>mamá.” Camila replied, with a smile. She busied herself, helping to prepare dinner. As the heat continued to rise, she couldn’t help but revel in the familiarity of it. Laughs and music echoed throughout the house, an oddly calmly ruckus. Outside the open windows, vibrant scenery was illuminated by the severe, golden sunlight. It was peaceful in chaos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a few more hours of cooking before dinner was on the table, with a large family gathered around. Before anyone ate, they ducked their heads in prayer. Her father’s quiet words enveloped the sudden silence of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amen.” Camila echoed, alongside everyone else. Mechanically, she crossed herself, as the chaos and noise erupted once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Much later, everyone had either left, or passed out downstairs. Camila crept to her room, silently shutting the door behind her. Exhaling slowly, she felt as though she were taking off a mask, no longer playing a part. Padding over the desk, she opened up her laptop, keying in the long password with practiced speed. It’s bright screen illuminated the room; Camila hadn’t bothered to turn the light on. Pulling up her email client, multiple new messages appeared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es] </span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> godschampion@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’ll have you know that I have been taking training SERIOUSLY. I don’t even have to be doing it right now, but I am. Bet you feel like an idiot now, huh?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I miss you, come back soon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ava</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [godschampion@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es] </span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava and Lilith, can you bicker with each other privately? Thx. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hope all of you are doing okay. I am somewhere in France right now. Motorcycling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From, Mary</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sent from my iPhone</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camila chuckled as she read through the messages, surprised at how strongly her friends’ personalities came through in the digital format. She leaned back in her chair for a moment, a goofy grin on her face. The gentle noise of keyboard input filled the room, as she typed out two messages. One of which was sent to the entire group, the other sent only to Beatrice. It had been several days since their departure from Cat’s Cradle, yet Beatrice had maintained radio silence the entire time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Out of all of her sisters, Camila felt closest to Beatrice. When she had first arrived at Cat’s Cradle, Beatrice had been her first friend. Even as she became closer with others, and Camila knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>name, Beatrice was still like family. Father Vincent’s betrayal and the fight with Adriel had been hard on her, perhaps more than anyone. With a shaky breath, Camila remembered Beatrice’s cries that filled the air. They had been so animalistic and unlike her, underscoring how awful a battle it truly had been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camila began to get up from the desk, then sat back down. She decided to type out a third message, this one to Ava. In retrospect, Camila felt guilty for not inviting Ava to come home with her. She had nowhere else to go and she probably felt incredibly lonely at Cat’s Cradle. Silently chastising herself as she wrote, Camila vowed that next time, she’d make Ava come with her. Plus, Ava would love her crazy family. Even if she didn’t, she would definitely enjoy the food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After sending the third email, she turned her computer off and switched on the lamp. From her bag on the floor, she pulled a small, leather bound notebook. With gentle hands, she laid it on the desk, flipping through each page slowly. Each page was different, colourful in it’s own way. Some entries were completely narrative, a standard journal entry. Others, however, contained beautiful watercolours of plants, flowers, trees, and scenery. Recipes also found their way in, as several of the pages had detailed cooking instructions, often anointed with food stains. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Each page made Camila smile, they all told a story and represented something that was special to her. A blank page now sat in front of her, although she knew exactly what she was going to add to it. Within a desk drawer, she found her coloured pencils, an artifact from her life before the OCS. In an excited fervor, she began drawing her sisters, her family from the OCS. She sketched Mary first, her face grim and shotguns over each shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking over her work so far, Camila felt a small smile across her lips. She was sure that Mary would love how cool this drawing made her look. Next, she began outlining Lilith’s tall, lithe figure. With sweeping, graceful strokes, she added Lilith’s newly grey hair. In an odd way, Camila thought, it suited her. She was about to add claws to each fingertip, before she stopped, hesitant. Would Lilith want to be represented like this? Maybe not. Camila withdrew her pencil, instead using it to add Beatrice to the drawing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow, despite Camila’s artistic skill, she couldn’t quite capture Beatrice’s refined features and mannerisms. Still, the knives that clung to her belt looked intimidating, at the very least. Ava, Camila decided, had to go in the middle, so she could shade the halo’s light around everyone else. Adding the bright blue Divinium sword accentuated the golden rays that covered the page.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, it was time to add herself to the drawing. She froze, unsure of how to continue. Capturing oneself in portraiture always seemed more intimate than drawing others. With timid strokes of the pencil, Camila eventually drew herself in. A crossbow hung from one of her hands and a loose curl escaped from her tight hood. Resisting the urge to add in a smile, she instead gave herself an intense expression, similar to that worn by Lilith. With a start, she realised it was the same expression she was wearing now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking back at the completed drawing, Camila felt conflicted. She wondered if she had portrayed her battle-ready sisters unrealistically; they certainly hadn’t seemed this confident after the visit to the Vatican. Yet, it would have been too sad to draw everyone in the way that they returned. None of them had spoken about it, but the scars that they bore from the journey were obvious. Camila sighed. She desperately wanted to be able to talk to her sisters about what had happened, but she felt as though these conversations needed to occur face to face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, she understood why Mother Superion had sent them away. In the same position, Camila wondered if she would have done the same. Some time off could help take everyone’s minds away from the horrors they witnessed. Still, Camila wracked her mind, trying to think of a way to communicate her warmly personal thoughts via a cold screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although she pondered the question for several minutes, she didn’t have an immediate answer. Glancing at the time, Camila gasped, quickly shutting the notebook and sliding into bed. Only then did she realise that there wasn’t any training tomorrow, nor did she have anywhere to be. It was a strange feeling, one that she was far from used to. Her last thoughts before bed were of her sisters, wherever they were right now. Camila hoped, prayed, that they were doing alright.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Mary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mary continues riding.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the wildfire smoke is so thick right now, fml</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mary felt the motorcycle slide underneath her, flinging her through the air. She landed hard, several feet away, and then slid a little bit farther. The wind had been completely pushed from her lungs, but thankfully, her leather clothes prevented any road rash. “Fuck.” She whispered, smashing a fist into the ground before getting up. Crossing the distance over to her bike, Mary was relieved to see the damage was mostly cosmetic. With anger in her movements, she straddled the motorcycle once more, coaxing it to life with a practiced hand. Thankfully, the road had been empty and deserted - no one had witnessed her accident. </p><p> </p><p>Normally, Mary was the last person to last person to be thrown from her bike. She had been riding for years and was <em> skilled. </em>Yet, her focus wasn’t there. The calm confidence that usually guided her had been noticeably absent for the last several days. She forced a deep breath in as she began to pick up speed, although her chest was still shaking from the sudden outpour of adrenaline. </p><p> </p><p>As she drove onwards, she tried to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings. Despite the painfully angry mood that she seemed stuck in, it had truly been a gorgeous journey so far. A small tent and other supplies were tucked into the saddlebags of her motorcycle. Each night she had been away was spent outdoors, somewhere remote and away from civilisation. This wasn’t to connect with nature though, rather, a deliberate attempt to avoid contact. </p><p> </p><p>Mary’s thoughts quickly strayed as she continued onward. She remembered the battle with Adriel, the fallout that occurred afterwards. It was obvious that they’d all been touched by the violence that day. Father Vincent’s betrayal cut deep, especially for Mary. Knowing how much she had trusted him, only to have him be on the wrong side… Only to have him kill Shannon. Some days, it seemed like too much to bear. Other days, it seemed like too much to even understand. </p><p> </p><p>Thinking of Shannon made Mary’s heart feel as though it would burst. They had been <em> best </em>friends, but so much more than that, too. Tears burned her eyes underneath her helmet. Mary remembered their first kiss, so awkward and confusing, shared in a moment of passion during training. They had been sparring together, Shannon had taken pity on Mary’s terrible combat skills and offered to help her out after dinner. </p><p> </p><p>Even before that, the tension between them had been obvious. Camila and Lilith both pointed it out, with wide smiles on their faces. Beatrice had been more polite, of course, although she was no fool. In that moment, Mary would have given anything to return to then, to have more time with Shannon. Their relationship had been far from perfect, no one’s ever is, but it had been criminally short lived. </p><p> </p><p>A crack of lightning echoed through the sky, startling Mary slightly, and shaking her from her thoughts. She chanced a look behind her as she drove, a big storm gathering on the horizon. It seemed that her luck today was non-existent. With a sad sigh, she turned from the main road, in a hurried attempt to find shelter before the wall of rain reached her. Even the threat of inclement weather couldn’t force her indoors. Right now, she’d <em> weather </em>anything to stay alone. </p><p> </p><p>Twenty minutes and some clever searching later, and Mary had found herself a shelter for the night. A small stone overhang shielded her tent and the bike, with room to spare. After a few additional minutes, she had coaxed a fire from some nearby kindling. Perfect timing, too, as rain began bucketing from the sky, only moments after she ducked under her shelter. She pulled a few items from her bag, cooking a modest dinner over the fire. </p><p> </p><p>After eating, she curled up in the tent, quietly listening to the sound of rain around her. The air smelled like smoke and wet earth, the storm washing away the heat of the day. She kicked off her riding boots and burrowed into the sleeping bag, trying to chase some semblance of calm. Failing at that, she pulled her phone from her pocket. She’d barely looked at it since the day before, and it was caked in dirt from a long day on the road. </p><p> </p><p>Brusquely, she pushed a finger onto the power button and cleaned the device off on her shirt as she waited. Surprisingly, even this far off the beaten track, she had reception. Gentle vibrations shook her hand as the notifications buzzed their way through. Mary’s face remained unchanged as she began reading through them. </p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p><b>To:</b> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [godschampion@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es] </p><p><b>From:</b> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</p><p> </p><p>Please! Somebody give me more details about what you are doing, I miss you all so much. I spent the day cooking with <em> mi familia… </em>And eating, of course! I wish you all could have been here, it’s so weird to be away from the cradle. </p><p> </p><p>Please stay safe, all of you. Stay hydrated!</p><p> </p><p>&lt;3 Camila</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p><b>To:</b> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [godschampion@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es] </p><p><b>From:</b> hellspawn@OCS.com.es </p><p> </p><p>Mary,</p><p> </p><p>You are right. From now on I will yell at Ava in private, thanks for the advice.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone, </p><p> </p><p>I am surprised how much I miss the routine of training. Doubly surprised at how much I miss all of you. Yes, even you Ava.</p><p> </p><p>Lilith</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p><b>To:</b> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es] </p><p><b>From:</b> godschampion@OCS.com.es</p><p> </p><p>Camila, your messages are so kind and wholesome. You are a gem.</p><p> </p><p>Lilith, I miss you too. I’m surprised you were a big enough person to admit that. Real character development here, folks. </p><p> </p><p>Mary, I can’t believe you are just motorcycling around, wherever you want. SO COOL.</p><p> </p><p>I miss all of you, Mother Superion has been really hard on me during training the last few days. Who knew I was such a poor fighter? (No one answer that). </p><p> </p><p>- Ava</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>Despite her initial reluctance to stay in contact, at the end of the message thread, Mary found herself smiling despite everything. With a focused look in her eye, Mary typed out her replies, as her cheeks ached. A sad realisation hit her - it had been days since she smiled. She sighed, setting the phone in her lap for a moment as she closed her eyes. There were so many thoughts rolling through her mind it was hard to focus on one. </p><p> </p><p><em> Where was Beatrice? </em>It had been nearly a week since they had all left Cat’s Cradle, each heading in a different direction. At first, her silence was understandable, but now… Mary felt a pang of worry spread through her chest. Undoubtedly, the battle with Adriel has taken a lot out of them, but Beatrice… Mary remembered her reaction to the night’s events. She had acted so shockingly out of character, the exact opposite of everything Mary knew Beatrice to be. </p><p> </p><p>Beyond the literal demons, though, Mary knew that there was a more personal fight that Beatrice was contending with. It was a demon Mary knew well, one that she had fought with Shannon. It seemed like a lifetime ago, now. To say that Beatrice was closed off and guarded would be a colossal understatement, but Mary picked up her phone again. In as gentle a way as she could manage, she sent Beatrice a few lines, reminding her that she always had someone to talk to. </p><p> </p><p>After finishing her brief, but sincere messages, Mary shoved her phone away. Even those small moments of contact were overwhelming. She knew Shannon would have disapproved of her extreme self-isolation, but Mary couldn’t bring herself to care. As she laid down, she reflected on everything that had happened in the past few weeks. It brought no peace though, only pain. </p><p> </p><p>In the morning, Mary awoke, cold and stiff from her spartan sleeping arrangements. It was cool, but the storm had passed on, leaving a foggy morning in its place. With practiced efficiency, Mary packed her things, wheeling her motorcycle back to the overgrown road that led her here. Engine rumbling filled the air and she was off. It was a new day, with nothing notable to separate it from the last. Mary was unsure of what she was looking for, but she hadn’t found it yet. Maybe she never would.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Lilith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lilith makes a realisation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>my head hurts</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Lilith told her friends that she had been staying with her family in Portugal, it hadn’t exactly been a lie. It wasn’t a truth though, either. There was a pool house at the edge of their estate, although it was only used by the hired staff when they came to do maintenance. Sure, it was full of dust and cobwebs, but Lilith couldn’t face her family in the state she was in. Even a visit without the growing demonic side of her would have been tense. </p><p> </p><p>News of Ava’s miraculous introduction to the halo spread quickly amongst OCS chapters. Though her family members no longer served the Order, they were well connected and quickly found out. Although Ava was a miraculously powerful halo bearer in her own right, Lilith’s family wouldn’t see it like that. Instead, they would view the issue like Lilith once had; the rightful bearer robbed of her duty.</p><p> </p><p>Add in the newly acquired demonic powers, and a family visit was sure to be disastrous. She knew that she <em> could </em>have elected to stay at Cat’s Cradle, but the way everyone seemed to be looking at her lately… It was too much. Somehow, she found herself here, hiding in the pool house, sequestered away from the world. </p><p> </p><p>It was oddly reminiscent, though, of her childhood. Lilith’s training for the OCS began young. Her parents wanted to claim another halo bearer, so she was enrolled in martial arts as soon as she was able to walk. Biblical studies came next, Lilith remembered reading about Areala, it was one of her first memories. The pressure and constant chastisement was too much sometimes, painfully unbearable. Thus, Lilith’s hideout in the pool house was born.</p><p> </p><p>She still remembered the first time she hid there, early in her adolescence. Her parents had taken turns arguing with each other and yelling at her, something about her poor fighting technique. Lilith ran a slim hand over a dusty table in the corner as she recalled the incident. With a few toys shoved in her tiny backpack, she had raced out here, desperate for solitude. Lilith bent down, much taller now than she had been. Her toys were still there, well worn from her many excursions to her little fort. </p><p> </p><p>For some reason, an unconscious nostalgia perhaps, Lilith took one of the toys. With watery eyes, she dusted off the stuffed bear, gently placing it in her bag. She’d been hiding out here for a week, unsure of where to go, or what to do. <em> Why did I even come here </em>?</p><p> </p><p>There was a small sitting room in the pool house, along with a tiny bathroom. Lilith looked in the mirror, trying to take in the changes in her appearance. She was right in thinking that her parents would have never accepted her back, the demon was obvious within her. Running a hand through her newly grey locks, Lilith stared back at her reflection. Dark bags hung under her eyes and the bones in her face seemed to protrude more than usual. She looked hollow. </p><p> </p><p>Her fist crashed into the mirror a moment later, almost of its own accord. Lilith felt out of control, outside of herself. In slow motion, she watched the reflective shards fall to the floor, hypnotised by their odd beauty. Once they had fallen, she looked down, stil unnerved by her reflection, even in the broken pieces on the floor. Dark drops of blood fell as she stared, unmoving, for several minutes. </p><p> </p><p>Shakily, she held up her bloody fist, willing herself to look at the damage she had caused. Lilith suppressed a gasp as the bloody channels of crimson stitched themselves together, not unlike how they had at ArqTech. All that was left of the incident were thin, pale scars. Before she could overthink things any further, a dinging notification noise interrupted her. The laptop she had brought lit up, casting a bright light through the shadowy room. Desperate for the distraction, Lilith quickly walked towards it.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes ran over the words from her friends, gratitude deep in her heart. Everyone’s messages were cheerful, but it was so obvious that there was turmoil beneath the surface. Adriel had torn them apart, even if their physical bodies made it out intact. Lilith’s hands hovered over the keyboard for a moment, as she considered typing a truly honest message. She began writing, slowly clacking away at the keyboard. When she finished, her mouse hovered over the <em> send </em>button until… She deleted it. Instead, she punched out some quick sentences with a sigh. </p><p> </p><p>Lilith turned away from the computer, looking out the window, towards the sloping hills and into the city. She craved a hug from her parents, a reassurance that everything would be alright. Disappointed with the impossibility, however, she found herself packing her bags. <em> Coming here was stupid. </em>Lilith’s thoughts turned dark as she roughly packed her few belongings away. Some part of her, however miniscule, was convinced that she could come home and have a normal life. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Even if you weren’t part demon, do you really think your parents would be unconditionally loving? They still think you did something wrong, something that cost you the halo. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The thoughts and anger swirled within her, and Lilith felt the prickle of claws sliding out from her fingertips. Forcibly, she tried to relax, pulling in as deep of breaths as she could stomach. After a few minutes, she managed to subdue her anger. With everything she’d been through, all Lilith wanted was the comfort of family. Only now, she realised where her <em> real </em>family was. Trembling hands forced her computer open once more, as she typed out a quick message to Ava. </p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p><b>To:</b> [godschampion@OCS.com.es]</p><p><b>From:</b> hellspawn@OCS.com.es</p><p> </p><p>Ava,</p><p> </p><p>I’m on my way back, change of plans. Maybe we can talk?</p><p> </p><p>Lilith</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>Lilith didn’t wait for a reply, especially since Ava was likely still at training. She was restless and desperate to leave. The sliding door parted and Lilith slipped from her self-imposed prison. Hovering at the end of the yard, she looked up towards the main house, where she had grown up. A rush of memories made her head swim and her eyes wet, but she turned away. Nothing good could come from knocking on that door. </p><p> </p><p>Walking down the hill, Lilith quickly found the path she used to frequent as a child, albeit it was more overgrown than she remembered. Reeds and grasses brushed against her legs as she strode through, but she barely noticed. Instead, her mind was elsewhere, thoughts turning like gears in her mind. </p><p> </p><p><em> Where was Beatrice? </em>She wondered, noting her absence in any of the emails between her sisters. Lilith, like everyone else, had sent her a private message. It hadn’t been answered. Adriel had toyed with Ava in front of her, for what seemed like hours when they were in the Vatican. When Lilith closed her eyes, she could still hear Beatrice’s screams echoing against the cobblestones in the plaza. </p><p> </p><p>Although she had never admitted it, at least not yet, Lilith had always felt a kinship with Beatrice. It was unlike those she felt with the other sisters, but that’s not to suggest Lilith didn’t have any other friends. Rather, Beatrice was probably the only person who’s childhood and trajectory into the OCS seemed to match her own. Everyone had their own driving forces, their own tragedies, but Beatrice’s and Lilith’s seemed symmetrical. Given what Lilith knew, she could only imagine how Beatrice’s journey home had gone - or if she had gone home at all. </p><p> </p><p>Without thinking, Lilith’s legs had gotten her to the small train station that would take her back to Spain. She looked up at the timetable, realising she would have to wait half an hour before the next train ran through. Pulling a hood over her head, Lilith ducked over to a bench on the edge of the platform. She didn’t want to give anyone a chance to recognise her. </p><p> </p><p>Despite her best efforts, swirling thoughts consumed her wait, her mind becoming a completely separate entity from her body. Eventually, the train pulled up and the grinding wheels snapped Lilith back to reality. She moved onto the least crowded car, working hard to avoid attention. <span>Finding a seat by the window, she sat down, and watched the city pass. She was headed home. Her </span><em><span>true home. </span></em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Beatrice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some emails are read. Not answered.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>dont hate me</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beatrice looked down at her phone, ducking under a canopy to avoid the onslaught of heavy rain. There were tons of unread messages in the group thread. She sighed, unwilling to even open those. Below that notification, however, there were several messages addressed only to her. Chancing a glance into the bustling warehouse, then checking the time, Beatrice decided she had time to read through them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hey Bea, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You haven’t answered any emails yet, it’s been a few days since… You know. I just want to know if you’re okay. Please, email back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>&lt;3 Camila</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I know you’re fucked up about everything that’s happened. I get it, I understand. Please though, try not to shut us out. We’re your family and WE. ARE. HERE. FOR. YOU. Seriously, trust me when I say that I understand the desire to get away. If that’s what you need, I’ll respect it. Please be safe. I know you can handle yourself and I know you’re capable, but please. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’ll be there when you’re ready to talk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bea!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seriously! It’s been a whole day since my last message and you still haven’t replied. Please, I’m so worried about you it makes me sick. You’re really strong, okay, I know that. But you don’t have to be strong on your own. It’s alright to need help sometimes, I promise. Please, please, please, send me something back. Even if it’s just a single word (a single LETTER), I just need to know you’re alright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Love you,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camila</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> godschampion@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hi Beatrice,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I miss you. I miss all of you. It’s been so weird being here without everyone. You haven’t replied to anyone in days, I’m just worried about you. I know that what happened was… A lot. For me, too. I just want to talk to you again. Can you please reply? Please? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I can’t wait until you’re back,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>- Ava</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> hellspawn@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’m going to cut to the chase, because I’ve always been honest with you. I’m pretty sure you didn’t go home, so where are you? Why aren’t you replying to anyone? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You and I have always had our ups and downs but… We’re more similar than we realise. I know you’re going through something unimaginable right now. Just, can you let me know you’re okay? Or any of us? Just reply to someone. Please. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bea!!!!!!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We are due back at the cradle in TWO DAYS. Where have you been? No one has gotten a reply from you, we are all worried sick! You don’t have to face this alone, whatever you are going through we are here for you. I cannot even imagine what you felt when Adriel did…. THAT… but please, come home soon. We’ll all be there to support you. I promise. Whatever you need, I’m there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Love, Cam</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>Beatrice felt tears sting her eyes as she read through the messages. She sucked in a deep breath and looked out over the river. The evening lights reflected on the inky black water, still and calm. Unlike her. Whatever sense of control she had was no longer present, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>unbound. </span>
  </em>
  <span>With trembling hands, she shoved the phone back into her pocket, messages left unanswered. Using the sleeve of her hoodie, she roughly wiped her tears away. Then, Beatrice threw her hood back on and headed into the building.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Ava & Lilith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ava and Lilith have a discussion.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>4 updates in one day, how bout that?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Lilith!” Ava called, running across the courtyard at Cat’s Cradle. Lilith quickly paid the taxi driver before he took off back down the hill. Surprisingly, Ava wrapped her arms around Lilith, tightly hugging her for several seconds. Despite Lilith’s normally cold exterior, she hugged Ava back. </p><p>“I can’t believe I actually missed you.” Lilith whispered as they embraced. </p><p> </p><p>“I could say the same to you.” Ava replied, after they broke apart.</p><p>“You could.” Lilith found herself laughing. She had barely spoken in eight days though, and her voice had a slight rasp to it.</p><p>“You’ve looked better.” Ava told her, honestly, giving Lilith a once over.</p><p>“I could say the same to you.” Lilith did the same to Ava. Dark circles hung under her eyes and she looked somehow smaller.</p><p> </p><p>“Fair.” Ava kept pace with Lilith as she headed back towards the building. “Did you really mean what you wrote? In your email…” </p><p>“I did. I’ve had a lot of time to think.” Lilith answered without giving away a single detail.</p><p>“I… Okay.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’m just, surprised is all.” Ava admitted, looking up at Lilith with wide eyes. </p><p>“Honestly, me too.” Lilith turned towards her room, which was in a different direction than Ava’s. She stopped in the hallway for a moment. “Meet me by the front door? In like an hour?”</p><p>“I’ll be there.” Ava smiled, before running towards her own room, phasing through the door instead of opening it. </p><p> </p><p>“Jesus, <em> fuck </em>.” Ava was startled by the man standing in her room. Adriel. “No, no. It can’t be.” Ava backed herself into the corner as he menacingly walked towards her. She felt herself hyperventilate, her body refusing to cooperate through the fear. Her eyes closed as she pressed into the wall. When she opened them, he was gone. </p><p> </p><p>“Fuck.” Ava breathed as she tried to regain her composure. She was shaking violently as she stood up, keeping one hand against the wall to stop her knees from buckling. Her heart hammered against her ribcage and the halo was burning. Slowly, she managed to calm down, although her mind was still racing. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You’re losing it Ava. Focus. You need to step up, you need to be a leader. Adriel is dead, you know this. Get it out of your system. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>When Ava looked at the clock again, somehow a ton of time had passed, even though her episode seemed like it had lasted a few minutes. At most. Looking out the window confirmed this though, the sun had set. Quickly, Ava pulled a second shirt on and headed back outside to meet Lilith. Maybe they weren’t best friends, yet, but who’s to say they <em> couldn’t be? </em></p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I thought you weren’t going to come.” Lilith addressed Ava from the step she sat on. </p><p>“I… No, I was. I just… Lost track of time.” Ava stuttered, looking down. Lilith gave her a look, noticing the slight panic in her eyes and the tremble in her hands. </p><p>“Alright…” Lilith replied, not wanting to press the issue. “Do you want to walk while we talk? I’ve been… A little cooped up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay.” Ava let Lilith stand up and lead the way. </p><p>“So…” Lilith mumbled awkwardly as they walked along the stone path. “How are you?”</p><p>“You might be even more awkward than I am.” Ava joked to try and ease some of the tension between them.</p><p>“It seems like it.” Lilith let out a small laugh, then paused. “I shouldn’t have left, I should have stayed with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I felt the need to run, so I did. Not to be rude, but I’m guessing you understand that. I wanted to go home, after everything that happened, because I thought it would be… Something it wasn’t.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Ava asked, her voice full of genuine curiosity and concern. </p><p>“It was kind of stupid, honestly. My family has never been what you’d call <em> loving, </em>yet all I wanted, more than anything…” Lilith drew in a sharp breath. “Was my parents to hug me and tell me that it was going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“That didn’t happen then?”</p><p>“I didn’t even talk to them. I hid in one of our outbuildings for a week, then came back. Like I said, stupid.” Lilith felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment, although Ava probably couldn’t tell in the dim moonlight. </p><p>“I don’t think it’s stupid. You’ve been through a lot.” Ava placed a hand on Lilith’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I could say the same to you.” Lilith replied, feeling a newfound fondness for the halo bearer. </p><p>“You could.” Ava removed her hand, nervously picking at her fingernails. “And you’d be right.”</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>“Honestly, no.” Ava seemed shocked in her admission, but continued speaking. “I’m not. I see him everywhere.”</p><p>“Adriel?” Lilith asked, slightly confused. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“I know he’s dead.” Ava interrupted. “But sometimes I feel like… Like my <em> body </em>doesn’t. I see him sometimes and it’s like I’m there all over again, even though I logically know otherwise. I don’t know if that makes sense…”</p><p>“I think I understand. I feel similar about… The <em> places </em>I’ve been.” Lilith admitted quietly. </p><p> </p><p>“It sucks, huh?” Ava tried to introduce some levity to the conversation. It fell flat. </p><p>“It does.” Lilith looked over at Ava, trying to gauge her emotional state. “I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes.”</p><p>“Me too. Maybe we can be crazy together.” </p><p>“Maybe.” Lilith stifled a giggle, amused at the absurdity of everything.  </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry I ran away and made everything a million times harder for you. For everyone.” Ava apologised, her sincere words coming from seemingly nowhere.</p><p>“I’m sorry I tried to kill you.” Lilith replied, feeling as though Ava’s apology was largely unnecessary. </p><p>“You also saved my life, possibly more than once. I know, at least now, that you’re a good person. You don’t need to apologise.”</p><p>“Ava. You helped save <em> the world </em>.” Lilith retorted. </p><p> </p><p>“This is a dumb argument. We’re good now, right? That’s all the matters.” Ava answered.</p><p>“We’re <em> good. </em>”</p><p>“I’m glad.” Ava whispered.</p><p>“Me too.” Lilith replied, feeling lighter than she had previously. </p><p> </p><p>They walked along in silence for several minutes, content to let the cool ocean breeze do the talking. Eventually, Ava couldn’t help but ask another question.</p><p>“Have you heard from Beatrice?”</p><p>“No.” Lilith’s voice was grim. “You?”</p><p>“No.” Ava sounded equally disappointed.</p><p> </p><p>“She’ll be okay…” Lilith couldn’t help but feel as though she sounded unsure, more like she was asking rather than telling. </p><p>“Why won’t she answer? This isn’t like her? I don’t understand…” Words tumbled from Ava’s mouth, quickly and unexpectedly. </p><p>“Ava?” Lilith paused, a potentially dark realisation washing over her. “How much do you remember?”</p><p> </p><p>“About? Oh… Um…” She seemed to be deep in thought. “We were fighting Adriel and I exorcised the wraiths from the civilians, which was pretty cool, if I may add.”</p><p>“It was.” Lilith whispered, feeling nervous. </p><p>“And… Adriel was hurting you, all of you. He was so fast… I remember freaking out at that, the halo felt like it was going to sear through me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then what?” Lilith tried hard not to let the memories overwhelm her. </p><p>“Then… I was hurting Adriel. Maybe it wasn’t hurting him <em> that much, </em>but I think I was doing an okay job…” Ava looked down. </p><p>“Is that all?” Lilith had a leaden feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.</p><p>“There’s flashes after that. Of all of you. Of Adriel….” She shuddered at the memory of his disconcertingly calm face. “Blood. I remember… Your voices. I remember some screams and… It hurt. A lot. I thought I was dying.”</p><p> </p><p>“You were.” Lilith admitted, before she could stop herself. Ava froze. “You would have, if it weren’t for the halo.”</p><p>“Oh.” It was all Ava could choke out in reply. </p><p>“And… I don’t know if I’m the one who should be telling you about this.” </p><p>“Please. I’ve been alone for days, trying to fill in the pieces, and… I’m tired, Lilith. Please, tell me.”</p><p> </p><p>Lilith sighed, slowly. “When you… Went down, you took a lot of Adriel’s power with you. We weren’t in great shape at that point, but neither was he. Instead of an entire army of wraiths, he could only summon a few, enough to possess a few civilians. They were enough to overwhelm us, for the moment.” Lilith stopped talking, Ava’s reaction nearly palpable. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you want me to continue?” She asked, gently. </p><p>“Yes, please.” Ava replied, her voice small and restricted. </p><p>“He wanted to put on a show, it was… <em> Sickening. </em>Violent. He threw you around, hurting you, even though you were already... I think he just wanted to see our reactions, it was as though he was feeding off them. Maybe he was…”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t remember this!” Ava sounded angry and the halo’s glow was dimly visible beneath her sweater. </p><p>“Ava, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Lilith put a hand on each of Ava's shoulders, forcing eye contact between them. “It’s okay.”</p><p>“Then what happened?” Ava whispered, as the glow faded from the air. </p><p> </p><p>“Beatrice… She… I’ve never seen her act like that. Seeing how Adriel was beating you, killing you… She screamed and cried like…” Lilith stuttered, feeling as though she shouldn’t be the person to explain. “We were all upset and freaking out, of course. But Beatrice, she went… Crazy… Adriel took a really sick pleasure in it, too.”</p><p> </p><p>Ava felt like the ground was falling out from under her, she was dizzy and couldn’t seem to get a full breath in. Without a word to Lilith, she stepped off the path, leaning against a stone wall, with her head between her knees. Blood pounded through her ears and somewhere, deep in her mind, she felt as though she could hear Beatrice’s anguish anew. For a second, she was scared she would be sick, but the moment passed. </p><p> </p><p>“Lilith?” She whispered, without looking up from the grass below. </p><p>“I’m here.” Lilith replied, tenderly laying a hand on Ava’s back.</p><p>“Please continue, sorry.”</p><p>“You don’t have anything to apologise for.” Lilith reluctantly continued. “She managed to escape from the possessed people that were holding her… I think she killed them.” </p><p> </p><p>Ava's blood ran cold at Lilith’s words, but she didn’t speak. “You had dropped the Divinium sword… She moved so fast I… It was unexplainable. Beatrice killed Adriel. Demolished him, really. Each one of his limbs was coated in Divinium and sent in a different direction, just to be sure. We…” Lilith coughed, as though it would stem the flow of painful memories to her mind. “We had to drag her away from him, she just sliced and sliced and…”</p><p> </p><p>“She wasn’t herself.” Ava guessed, trying to predict what Lilith would say.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“I… I have a lot to think about.” Ava stood up, suddenly. She felt cold and detached. “I’m even more worried now…”</p><p>“I’m sorry. I wish you could have found out from someone with more tact. Someone like Camila.” Lilith told her, feeling inadequate. </p><p> </p><p>“Lilith. I deeply appreciate you telling me this. I appreciate you. Thank you.” Ava thanked her earnestly, before running across the grass. </p><p>“I hope I don’t come to regret it…” Lilith whispered, even though Ava was now well out of earshot.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Deafening Silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mary and Camila return to Cat's Cradle.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>how is it already september?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lilith sat at her desk, although there was nothing in her hands to occupy her. Rather, her mind raced as the night wore on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Should I have told Ava about everything? </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was too late now, regardless, and Ava would probably have been angry to have been kept in the dark. Sometimes, there isn’t always an easy answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nice, though, to be back at Cat’s Cradle. Lilith was reaffirmed in her regret about leaving; she felt more at home here than she ever did with her family. Her sisters at Cat’s Cradle </span>
  <em>
    <span>were </span>
  </em>
  <span>her family. With graceful movements, she pulled her computer out, curious about the details of her sisters’ returns. Or at least, Camila and Mary’s returns. Beatrice was still noticeably missing from her inbox. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if she will come back at the scheduled time or…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lilith couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [godschampion@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es] </span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hey everyone,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I am coming back tomorrow! I know it's a day early, but I could bear being apart any longer. The cradle just feels like where I need to be right now. I hope everyone is doing well. My mom is sending me back with a ton of baked goods, so please help me eat them. (Looking at you, Ava)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>&lt;3 Camila</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [godschampion@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es] </span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’m coming back early too, need to do bike repairs. Can’t wait to see you all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sent from my iPhone</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es], [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es], [cupcakecam@OCS.com.es], [hellspawn@OCS.com.es] </span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> godschampion@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I can’t wait to see you guys!!!! Especially you, Camila. ;)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ava</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed, the unwritten words speaking louder than those currently on her screen. The fake cheerfulness was borderline creepy. Still, Lilith </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>excited to rejoin her sisters. Maybe, in person, it would be easier for everyone to talk about what had happened. They could try to heal, or at least begin the process. It was impossible to ignore Beatrice’s absence; it was deafening in it’s silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Morning came quickly and Ava was happy to have someone to join her at breakfast again. “Good morning, sunshine.” Ava greeted Lilith as she sat next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sunshine me. It’s too early.” Lilith growled before lifting a steaming cup of coffee to her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who would have thought that I’d be the morning person?” Ava spoke mostly to herself, trying to keep the mood light. Lilith saw through the act though, Ava looked as though she hadn’t slept at all the night before. Exhaustion and worry were etched across her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What's on the training schedule today?” Lilith asked, trying to make meaningless conversation as she nursed her coffee. Like Ava, her night was far from restful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ummm…” Ava’s face scrunched up as she tried to remember. “General conditioning and small arms weapons skills.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh…” Lilith groaned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to train today? We technically don’t have to for another two days.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have anything better to do.” Lilith answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s fair. Do you…” Ava was nervous as she spoke. “Do you want to be my sparring partner, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought that was implied. You need someone to whip you into shape.” Lilith gave her a smile, although it felt empty. Their conversation was kind and pleasant, but both of them knew it was leaving so much unsaid. Thoughts, much darker than the words spoken, seemed to hang in the air between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Camila and Mary are coming back today. Did you get their emails?” Ava asked. What she was thinking, though, was more like the following: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Camila and Mary are coming back, but is Beatrice coming back? At all?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. I can’t wait to see them.” Although Lilith sounded deadpan as she spoke, she was genuinely excited to see her friends again. Her ill-fated journey home had reminded her who her true family was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me neither. I can’t believe Mary just rode her motorcycle all over! That’s so cool.” Ava’s innocent and childish admiration shined in her words. “I should learn to ride a motorcycle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not.” Lilith knew Mary well and feared that her journey likely wasn’t as </span>
  <em>
    <span>cool </span>
  </em>
  <span>as Ava thought. “Maybe you should learn to ride a bicycle first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know how to ride a bicycle. Or at least, I did.” Ava seemed ponderous. “It’s literally like riding a bike, so once you know…” Ava paused for a laugh from Lilith, but didn’t get one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s go get warmed up.” Lilith told her as she stood from her seat. “Training will be a good distraction.” She didn’t need to explain what she meant, nor what they needed distracting from.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith was right, of course. Training </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a distraction. Mother Superion seemed to be feeling extra sadistic this morning, because it was a brutal session. Ava was pretty sure that she saw a few of the younger sisters sneak away to vomit in the bushes. Towards the end, she was convinced she might have to join them. Finally, the torture ended, a small mercy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That…. Was…. Horrible…..” Ava panted, bent over double, as she tried to force air into her lungs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed.” Lilith answered, although she seemed more put together than Ava currently was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How… Are you… Not dying….?” Ava had managed to stand up, but she still couldn’t seem to get a full sentence out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I am.” Lilith wiped the sweat from her face as she spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Ava said after a few minutes of heavy breathing. “I feel better now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good, because we still have to spar.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t, by any chance, consider going easy on me, would you?” Ava cast a hopeful glance at Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a chance.” She replied, a mischievous smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, joy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith hadn’t been lying either. Ava was getting her </span>
  <em>
    <span>ass kicked. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When everyone had been gone, Ava had been training with some of the younger sisters. It had helped her learn some basic skills and even build some confidence with her combat. Fighting with Lilith, however, threatened to tear all of that confidence back to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought I was improving!” Ava spoke from the ground, sounding frustrated as she spit the blood from her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are, honestly.” Lilith offered her a hand, helping her get back up. “I’m just better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Teach me your ways.” Ava bowed dramatically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you actually want to learn?” Lilith asked, remembering Ava’s earlier disdain for training.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, just in case…” Ava didn’t finish her sentence, she didn’t need to. Lilith knew exactly what she meant and shared the same sentiment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The afternoon passed quickly after that. Lilith spent hours teaching Ava various techniques, from different forms of martial arts. Despite Ava’s innate silliness, she was a quick study. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re pretty good at this, Ava. I’m impressed.” Lilith admitted, after a few hours of practice in the sun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not a terrible teacher, either.” Ava replied, giving Lilith a pat on the back as she stepped off the mat to get some water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you two best friends now?” A joking voice asked from behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Camila!” Ava shouted as she turned, jumping towards her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi!” Camila laughed as Ava hugged her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Camila.” Lilith greeted her stiffly, from outside of the hug. Without replying, Ava and Camila simultaneously roped her into their embrace. They stood that way for several seconds, grateful for each other’s presence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to have you back.” Ava told her, once they had all stepped apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to be back. I love my family and being home but… This is also my home and you guys are also my family.” Camila replied with a sad smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand. Welcome home.” Lilith offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. I need to go unpack my bag, but my mom sent along a ton of treats if either of you want anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we be done sparring now?” Ava asked Lilith, her eyes wide at the concept of treats. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, you’re like a dog, honestly.” Lilith couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, we can be done. You did surprisingly well today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, sensei.” Ava bowed again, eliciting a chuckle from Camila. The three of them quickly folded up the training mat and carried it back into the building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were in Camila’s room, however, Ava couldn’t keep herself from asking. “Have you heard from Beatrice? Please say yes…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could.” Camila looked equally sad as she took the clothes out of her bag and laid them on her desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think she’ll…” Lilith was interrupted by Ava before she could finish her sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She has to!” Ava was emotional, on the edge of shouting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have faith that she will.” Camila knelt beside Ava, speaking gently. Lilith couldn’t help but admire her kindness and she wished Camila had been there last night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do?” Ava looked up at Camila with watery eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do. And I know Lilith does too.” They both looked up at Lilith with Camila’s words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do. But, I’m still worried.” Lilith admitted, hopefully sounding more sure than she felt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camila sighed. “Do either of you want a cookie? A pestiño? Shortbread?” She held up a big box of baked goods that her mom had sent with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, one of each, please.” Ava answered, some of her usual excitement returning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m good, thanks. Maybe later.” Tension seemed to fill the room, despite everyone’s efforts to try to lighten the mood. It seemed fruitless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know what time Mary will be here?” Ava asked. Powdered sugar covered her face and she looked ridiculous. Before anyone could answer her question, the faint rumbling noise of a motorcycle engine pierced the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speak of the devil.” Camila whispered, as Ava phased through the wall in a hurry. “No offense.” She added, with a guilty look at Lilith. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary switched off the bike with slow and deliberate movements, aware that Ava was bristling to give her a hug. The moment she swung her leg and hit the floor, Ava did just that, even lifting her from the ground a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to see you too, Ava.” Mary chuckled, as Camila and Lilith appeared behind her. After the seemingly requisite hugs, Camila looked down at Mary’s damaged motorcycle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened here?” She asked, quietly, with concern in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I took a little spill. No big deal.” Mary tried to act nonchalant as she pulled her belongings from the saddlebags on the bike. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Lilith wondered as she felt Camila tense next to her. They were both surprised Mary would fall, she was a skilled rider. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine. It’s all good.” Mary obviously didn’t want to talk about it. Her sisters got the hint and dropped the issue, for the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t heard from Beatrice, have you?” Ava felt like she knew what Mary’s response would be, but she needed to know for sure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary headed into the building without another word. It was nice to have everyone back, almost everyone, at least. Still, there was an inescapable melancholy that filled the air. No amount of hugs, kind words, or cookies would fill the void that Beatrice’s absence had created.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Left on Read</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Another glimpse into Beatrice's whereabouts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>-_-</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beatrice looked down at her phone, wincing as she saw the date. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should have been back today. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Guilt flowed through her. The thought of going back made her feel ill. She wondered if her sisters could ever see her in the same light after… After everything. Her complicated, yet serious, feelings for Ava also provided their own challenge. As much as Beatrice wished she could deny how she felt, she couldn’t. If her actions during the battle with Adriel were anything to go by, it was certainly not a secret anymore. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I could just stay here and continue living this life. God knows I’m good at it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Turning the idea over in her mind, she retrieved her phone from her bag. Her focus fell entirely on her new messages, despite the cheers and shouts in the background. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bea,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s early in the morning, so I know that you could get back later today…. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, though. Where are you? Please, message me back something if you can. We’re all worried about you. Be safe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>&lt;3 Camila</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>WHERE ARE YOU?! MOTHER SUPERION IS GOING TO BE PISSED! I SWEAR TO GOD BEATRICE!!!!! GET BACK HERE!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sent from my iPhone</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> cupcakecam@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bea,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We all just got called into a meeting with Mother Superion. She isn’t pleased with your absence, but she wasn’t as angry as we all thought. I think she is sympathetic. She’s always been kinder than she lets on initially, though. Please, come home soon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Love you,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>&lt;3 Camila</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> shotgunwhiskey@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hey again,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Superion wasn’t as mad as I thought she was going to be. That doesn’t mean you don’t get to come home though. Please.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sent from my iPhone</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> hellspawn@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’m worried about you. We all are. I hope you aren’t too angry… I told Ava what happened. I had to, it wasn’t fair to keep her in the dark longer than she already had been. I realise I shouldn’t have been the one to tell her… Probably anyone else would have been better. But, I was the only one here so…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sorry. We all miss you and love you. Come home soon, please. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice felt her breath hitch at Lilith’s email. She wasn’t angry, Lilith was right in her assertion that Ava needed to be told. It was hard to imagine what Lilith had said, specifically, and it was even harder to imagine how Ava might have reacted. Could it be possible that Ava was scared of her now? Unlikely, sure, but it would be naïve to think that it was completely impossible. A sudden buzz snapped Beatrice from the thought and she looked back down at her phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To:</b>
  <span> [teabeaUK@OCS.com.es]</span>
</p><p>
  <b>From:</b>
  <span> godschampion@OCS.com.es</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Please come home. I need you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart pounded as her eyes scanned the last three words of the message over and over, just to make sure she hadn’t read it wrong. Beatrice’s ears rang and her throat burned with the threat of tears. Before she could cry, a burly man stuck his head through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you’re up, killer.” He said, his voice deep and rough - yet friendly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, sir.” Beatrice thanked him coolly, not betraying anything she felt. A bell rang outside the door as she stood up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Focus.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Distractions are searched for, but they aren't always effective.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I downloaded tiktok as a joke but now.... idk</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Where is Sister Beatrice?” Mother Superion sat behind her desk, while everyone else stood around the room. The stiff discomfort between them was palpable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know.” Camila spoke up, after a few stretched seconds of silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t know.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Mother Superion repeated Camila’s words, as though she was trying to understand what they meant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She hasn’t contacted any of us.” Mary joined in, backing Camila up. Each of them assumed Mother Superion was about to get incredibly angry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve all reached out multiple times, but there’s been no response.” Lilith added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.” She leaned back in her chair, her face unreadable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is she going to be in trouble?” Ava’s question was barely a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That depends. Normally, I would say yes, but obviously there are extenuating circumstances that I can’t ignore.” Mother Superion gave Ava a sympathetic look as she spoke. “I’m sure you have considered the possibility that she might -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She </span>
  <em>
    <span>will.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Camila interrupted, garnering a look of surprise for her sudden outburst. “Sorry, Mother Superion. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I just… She </span>
  <em>
    <span>has </span>
  </em>
  <span>to come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you’re right, Camila.” Mother Superion sighed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After their meeting, the four of them stood in the hallway, feeling crestfallen. “I’ll admit, that went better than I thought it would.” Mary whispered, the shock in her voice evident.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy that Mother Superion wasn’t angry, but I’m still worried. It’s not like Beatrice to miss a deadline.” Lilith’s voice matched Mary’s hurried pitch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right now we have training to focus on.” Camila took a deep breath as her eyes welled up. “We need to have faith, I know… Training will be a distraction at least.” Ava pulled Camila into a hug as the tears began to flow more freely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it had prior, training </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>provide a distraction. Each of the sisters threw themselves into it, as if they could physically dispel their worries if they exerted enough energy. Sparring occupied the entire day as they rotated through, fighting in pairs. With all the Lilith had taught Ava, she was beginning to rebuild her confidence once more, although she still had plenty to learn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, I’m impressed!” Mary told her, as Ava landed a surprisingly strong hit, knocking her to the mat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” Ava smiled. “I’ve been working hard, plus Lilith taught me a few things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you two friends now?” Camila asked, looking between them with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>friends.” Lilith replied, although she laughed as she spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, I love you too.” Ava patted Lilith on the back, awkwardly, with a chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent several more hours drilling unarmed skills, until one of the younger nuns informed the group that dinner was starting soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dinner? Already?” Ava was shocked at how fast the day had gone by, for once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m starving.” Mary stood up, heading for the building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Save room for cookies! Please, I can’t eat them all.” Camila begged, chasing after Mary. Lilith stayed a few steps behind, to share a private word with Ava. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you scared she won’t come back?” Lilith asked, quietly, so no one else could hear the question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying not to be, but I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about the possibility. If she didn’t want to be found, there’s no way I could track her down. She’s way too smart.” Ava looked down, she felt hopeless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s true.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, you don’t have to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>so fast </span>
  </em>
  <span>to agree about my stupidity!” Ava snapped, although her tone was jovial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that you’re stupid, it’s more that Beatrice is playing on a whole other level.” Lilith explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what scares me.” Distractions fell away once more, leaving Ava feeling crushed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’ll come back.” Lilith set a hand on Ava’s shoulder as they walked towards the dining room. “For you, she will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Ava froze, feeling as though her entire body had been submerged in ice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why would Beatrice come back for me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Lilith tried to keep her face neutral upon her realisation. “Nevermind, forget I said anything.” Mary was going to laugh when Lilith told her about this later. Ava was clueless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly, Ava dropped the issue, following Lilith silently towards the dining room. The four of them sat sequestered away from the other nuns and they kept their conversations light. Once again, subtext was everything. Worries and fears underpinned their small talk - hidden meaning behind banal pleasantries. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After dinner, Ava found herself in her room. She had borrowed a few books from the library and she sat in the window trying to read them. A storm had moved in that evening and rain battered the glass next to her. Occasionally, a lightning strike would illuminate the dark sky, accompanied by a clap of thunder. Each time, Ava would jump slightly, startled by the suddenness of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned page after page as her eyes moved over the words mechanically. Several minutes passed before she stopped reading and leaned her head against the wall. None of this information was sinking in, she had been thinking about Beatrice the entire time. With a small sigh, she closed the book and set in on the desk. Ava grabbed her blankets and pillow from the bed and pushed them all into the windowsill, curling up to watch the storm. She couldn’t avoid her thoughts and feelings any longer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary was in the Cat’s Cradle garage, trying frantically to buff the scratches from the body of her motorcycle. Quickly though, she decided that was no use. She’d have to sand them off and repaint. She paused, standing up to gather the supplies she’d need. Despite the hard day of training, she hadn’t tired herself out enough to not feel anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want some help?” Lilith called from the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I look like I need help?” Mary bit back, much meaner than she intended her words to be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…” Lilith seemed hurt. “I just thought you might want company.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry… I… Yeah, come sit down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So…” Lilith drummed her fingers against her leg, once she had sat down near where Mary was working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go ahead, I know you want to ask.” Mary didn’t turn around as she spoke, her attention solely on the bike.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Lilith admired how Mary seemed to know exactly what she had wanted to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you’re asking. Usually you’re not the type of person to get involved in other people’s problems.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right… Maybe I’ve changed. It’s been a hard few weeks.” Lilith thought about everything that happened, she felt heavy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I’m sorry.” Mary softened. “I wasn’t concentrating and the roads were in poor condition. I got thrown from the bike. It’s a beginner’s mistake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I have protective clothing on…” Mary trailed off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I meant.” Lilith said, her voice sharp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m distracted.” Mary whispered, knowing that wasn’t the full truth. “Sorry in advance for the language, but what happened with Adriel… That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked up.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was.” Lilith agreed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And….” Mary couldn’t believe she was about to admit this so openly. “I miss Shannon with every breath that I take.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Mary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, most of all, I’m worried about Beatrice. If it were me… </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I can only imagine.” Mary exhaled forcefully, still unwilling to look at Lilith. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Lilith took a deep breath. “When I got back, I had to tell Ava what happened. She didn’t remember, not… Not the worst parts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lilith…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop.” Lilith interrupted her before she could continue. “I know I shouldn’t have been the one to explain it, but I was the only one here. Ava had been alone for a week, confused and unsure. She almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>died, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mary, even with the halo.” Lilith’s defense was surprisingly passionate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t going to tell you otherwise, if you would listen to me for a minute.” Mary finally turned around. “I was going to say I was proud of you. I can’t imagine that was easy, but you really stepped up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Hot embarrassment flushed across Lilith’s cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright.” Mary smiled for a moment. “And I know you haven’t had an easy time, either. But you put the needs of others above your own. You might actually be a good person, Lilith.” Mary’s last sentence had been meant as a joke, but tears were streaking across Lilith’s face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Mary set a hand on her knee. “It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was a horrible sister to Ava, although I wasn’t much better to any of you. I’m sorry.” Lilith choked on her words, no longer able to suppress her feelings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh…” Mary pulled Lilith into her, not unlike she did in the catacombs in the Vatican. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am trying to be better now, I am. You guys are my real family.” Lilith sobbed, then continued. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re your family too, okay? No one is going to kick you out, we all need to be here for each other. Especially right now.” Mary spoke softly, trying to calm Lilith down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent a long time in that garage that night, sometimes crying, sometimes not. It was odd, normally neither of them would be seeking out emotional counsel. Something had changed, however, in each of the sisters, after the battle with Adriel. That moment, truly more than any other, showed them just how high the stakes could get. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like Ava, Camila had tried to spend the evening reading, but given that up. Instead, she turned back to her notebook. She hadn’t added a new entry in a few days. Inside the desk drawer, she kept several art supplies, which she now hovered over, unsure of which one to pick. Camila knew she didn’t want to write, it was just too emotionally raw right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead, she opted for watercolours, one of her favourite mediums. With practiced hands, she set up her pallet and prepared her brushes. Afterwards, she looked out at the storm, watching the low clouds crest of the hills and the rain soaking the cobblestones below. Eventually, Camila decided to try and paint the scene before her, attempting to capture the dark beauty in it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sudden knock interrupted her work a while later and Camila laughed, figuring it was most like Ava, who had come back for another round of pestiños.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s open. Come in.” She called, without turning around, her focus still on the scene before her. The door creaked open, quietly, as the sound of dripping water caught Camila’s ear. She turned in her chair, feeling as though time had stretched out; too slow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bea….”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Catching Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ava and Beatrice FINALLY talk.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ok im so fucking tired, but one more update why tf not?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Camila crossed the room in a moment, wrapped her arms around Beatrice in an enthusiastically tight hug. They were frozen in that position for several seconds, before Camila broke away, holding Beatrice at arm’s length. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to you?” Camila asked the first question that came to mind, although there were a million right behind it. Politeness aside, Beatrice looked awful. Dark circles adorned her eyes and a deep gash crossed her right cheekbone. Besides that, she looked wild. Untamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I….” She looked down, her messy, wet hair dripping onto the floor. “I’m sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh… It’s okay. You don’t need to explain.” Camila pulled her back into another hug, she could feel Beatrice trembling against her. “I’m so happy you’re safe.” Camila whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everyone else okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re…” Camila hesitated, unwilling to lie. “We’ve all been better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Beatrice repeated, her hands shaking uncontrollably. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone is going to want to see you, talk to you. How do you want to play this?” Camila grabbed Beatrice’s hands in her own, in an attempt to stop the shaking, but froze when Beatrice winced. Gently, Camila looked over Beatrice’s bruised and bloodied knuckles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been fighting.” It wasn’t a question, rather, an observation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Beatrice’s response was a hoarse whisper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Bea. I can’t imagine… I…” Camila sighed, trying to be strong and retain her composure. “What do you want to do right now and what do you need from me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice didn’t reply right away, but she seemed to be thinking about the question. Camila studied her face as she did this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t… I don’t want to explain. Can’t yet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Camila was prompting her to continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I want to talk to Ava.” Beatrice admitted, surprising herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, then what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know yet.” Beatrice placed a gentle kiss on Camila’s forehead. “Thank you for having faith in me. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop apologising. No one here blames you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camila gave her another hug, before letting Beatrice wander down the hallway towards Ava’s room. To say Beatrice was nervous would be an understatement, although the exhaustion that hung over her helped blunt the worst of it. She paused outside Ava’s door for several seconds, before knocking with the side of her hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can come in, unless you’re Camila, I can’t eat anymore.” Ava yelled from within. Despite everything, Beatrice smiled. She hesitated for a split second, before crossing the threshold. Ava was still curled up in the window and she didn’t turn around. Beatrice closed the door and took a step closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava.” At the sound of Beatrice’s voice, Ava whipped around, her reaction almost comical. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beatrice.” Ava breathed, already wrapped around her, tears in both their eyes. “I was so worried about you I - I - I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Beatrice was doing a lot of apologising today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop, don’t apologise. I missed you so much… I was so scared.” Ava was sobbing into Beatrice’s chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just couldn’t… I had to leave…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, stop apologising. Can we… Talk? I was sitting in the windowsill watching the storm… You could sit with me… If you want?” Ava’s nerves were getting the best of her, she was speaking way too quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that.” Beatrice answered with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were settled in the windowsill, cuddled in blankets and pillows, they both sat quietly for a few minutes. Rain gently pattered against the window panes as they looked at one another, a million questions beneath the surface. Ava broke the silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to your face?” She asked, gently running a hand across Beatrice’s cheek, near her injury. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone hit me.” Beatrice admitted, as her face flushed from Ava’s touch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, you have to know I’m going to need more of an explanation than that.” Ava felt her worries melting away after only a few minutes in Beatrice’s presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll give you one but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry - I just…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava. It’s okay.” Beatrice whispered, putting one of her hands over Ava’s. The small point of contact between them made Ava feel as though she was on fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t just been getting hit, huh? You’ve also been the one doing the hitting?” Ava guessed, noticing Beatrice’s damaged hands, just as Camila had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More often than not, yes.” Beatrice sounded shockingly calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you answer anyone’s messages? Why did you leave?” Ava wanted to be respectful, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Beatrice sighed, running a hand through her hair. “There are several reasons, I think… If I answer your questions, will you answer mine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise.” Ava answered, her eyes glued to Beatrice’s face, her beauty unburned by her disheveled appearance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I felt as though I was losing myself… Or, I already had? The first few days away I barely remember, I had lost control. I was… Outside of myself.” Beatrice was having trouble speaking, an uncharacteristic problem for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry…” Ava whispered as she imagined the anguish Beatrice must have been experiencing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know Lilith explained… But, part of me was scared… That I wouldn’t be allowed back, or that my sisters wouldn’t have me anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They would never do that!” Ava felt a sudden rush of anger, not at Beatrice, but at the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, please.” Beatrice moved her hand to Ava’s leg. “I know that, logically. But I wasn’t thinking logically.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>always logical,</span>
  </em>
  <span> though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost always, it seems.” Beatrice was having a hard time explaining how she had felt, but not as difficult as she expected it to be. She felt calmer in Ava’s company. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where were you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“London. I had gone home, I stood on the doorstep of my childhood home but… I couldn’t face my parents. Even before this, I don’t know if I could have. I ended up turning around. I have spent </span>
  <em>
    <span>so long </span>
  </em>
  <span>cultivating control over my own life but that night… Somehow I ended up fighting someone in a pub and a guy asked me if I wanted to fight in some underground club for him…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beatrice… That seems…” Ava cut herself off, realising how stupid it would be to tell Beatrice that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dangerous. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dangerous, I’m well aware. It’s what I wanted. I was good too, I fought several times each day and never got hit except… The last fight I had before deciding to come back… I was distracted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Distracted? By what? You are the most focused person I know.” Ava paused for a moment. “I don’t know many people, yet, but still…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You.” Beatrice answered simply. Ava tried to remain calm, even though her heart was trying to rip its way out of her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me? I wasn’t there…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your last email, you said…” Beatrice didn’t say it out loud, she didn’t need to. Ava knew exactly what she was talking about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That I needed you.” Ava finished her sentence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That.” Beatrice drew in a breath, seeming as nervous as Ava was. “May I ask my own questions now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was the deal.” Ava mumbled, trying to sound more confident than she was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Does Beatrice realise the effect she’s having?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“How was your week? You look tired.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I…” Ava was going to make a joke but decided against it. “I am. I haven’t been sleeping much, since we’re being honest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Short answer, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked up.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright… Long answer?” Beatrice gazed at Ava with such intensity, she feared she might turn to ash. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see Adriel all the time. I know he’s dead but… My body is acting like he isn’t, like he’s going to attack at any second. That, plus the nightmares are… Hard.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand.” Beatrice replied quietly. She spoke from experience. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus I’ve been doing double training most days, to try and stop the nightmares… To try and stop worrying about you. It didn’t work, though…” Ava whispered the last sentence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean to cause anyone worry… I’m sorry.” Beatrice looked out the window, her tears mirroring the rain that ran down the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, stop apologising. You’re here now, that’s what matters.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay.” Beatrice thought for a moment, before asking her next question. “Did you mean it, what you said in your email?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did.” Ava answered instantly, this question she didn’t need to think about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think…” Beatrice looked everywhere except at Ava. “I might need you too.” When their eyes finally did meet, Ava could have sworn that the room fell away, that there was no more oxygen left to breath. It took several moments for her to get air back into her lungs. When her eyes swam back into focus, Ava noticed Beatrice looking at her with a slightly amused expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Embarrassing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have one more question.” Beatrice stated once Ava was done floundering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shoot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I…” Beatrice seemed suddenly nervous, as though this question would be the hardest hitting of the evening. “Can I stay with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” Ava replied, trying to stop herself from jumping in the air. “I’ll go grab some extra pillows and blankets. You can take the bed, of course, I can sleep on the floor or on the desk or in the windowsill or -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, stop.” Beatrice put a hand up as she interrupted Ava, who was speaking at lightning speed. “That’s not what I meant…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…? Oh!” Ava could swear she felt electricity running through her veins. “The answer is still yes, of course. Do you want to borrow something dry? Your clothes are wet from the storm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would… Be nice, thank you.” Beatrice’s calmness juxtaposed against Ava’s spastic actions only made Ava feel more manic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, one sec.” Ava crossed the room, shouting internally. She combed through her drawers, searching for something comfortable. “Is this okay?” Ava held up a simple pair of pajama pants and a blue hoodie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.” Beatrice replied as Ava gently set the clothes into her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to go wait in the hallway?” Ava asked timidly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No just… Do you mind turning around quickly?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava turned around, without comment. She used the brief moment of respite to make all the facial expressions she felt as though she had to hide from Beatrice. If any of her sisters could see her, they would have howled with laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can turn around now.” Beatrice said, interrupting Ava’s trainwreck of an internal monologue. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Compose yourself, you dunce. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You…” When Ava turned around, she hadn’t expected Beatrice to take her breath away. Yet somehow, she had. “You look beautiful.” Ava blurted out, before she could stop herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Beatrice looked down at her borrowed outfit in surprise, then back up at Ava. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not the outfit… It’s you.” Ava stated, with a sudden boldness. Finally, for the first time that night, it was Beatrice’s turn to be flustered.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think we could… Maybe sleep now? Or at least try to?” The blush across Beatrice’s cheeks as she asked was unmistakable. “I can be there for you… If the nightmares…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Ava smiled at Beatrice’s reaction, despite her own nervousness. “I think we could both use the rest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laid down, side by side, incredibly awkward at first. Ava was desperate to be respectful, she laid on the far edge of the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, I don’t bite.” Beatrice whispered, a voice in the dark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I’m just… Trying to be respectful.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if…” Ava could hear Beatrice suck in a slightly panicked breath. “What if I asked you to hold me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava was worried that she might melt through the bed, but she slid closer, and gingerly put one of her arms around Beatrice’s waist. In response, Beatrice adjusted her legs, fitting them perfectly against the pattern of Ava’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Beatrice asked, her voice equally amused and nervous. “I can feel your heart beating against my back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… Make me nervous.” Ava whispered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No point in hiding it now, you’re literally cuddling.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could say the same to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You asked for this.” Ava replied, fully teasing Beatrice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. I don’t regret it. I’ve wanted this for awhile and… With what happened, I was scared I would never get to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh… I understand.” Ava tried to remain calm, to be the gentle presence that Beatrice needed in this moment. “We can deal with everything complex in the morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was scared I’d never have the chance to tell you how I felt. That’s why I…” Once again Beatrice didn’t finish her sentence, but Ava knew what she meant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. But it’s okay, I’m here and you’re here. I’m so happy that you’re safe and home.” Ava squeezed herself a little tighter against Beatrice as she spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The House Always Wins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The dust begins to settle and Mary makes a bet.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you can tell its wildfire season because my nose is bleeding CONSTANTLY</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Camila burst through the door of the garage, having looked nearly everywhere else for Lilith and Mary. Finally, she had found them, although it seemed they had both been crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s back.” Camila whispered, as they both looked up at her in surprise. Lilith stood up, followed by Mary. Camila held up her hand, to stop them from continuing into the building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’d better… Leave the reunions until tomorrow.” Camila explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is she okay?” Lilith asked, her concern genuine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not really… But, she’s here. She’s alive. I don’t really think </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>of us are okay right now.” Camila paused for a moment and looked between them. “You two look like you’ve been sitting out here and crying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary and Lilith exchanged a bemused look. “We have.” Mary replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you tell Ava?” Lilith looked at Camila, her face both cheerful and sorrowful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… Beatrice went to Ava’s room herself…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I should have guessed it.” Mary still had tears in her eyes, but she also had a smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camila crossed the room and threw an arm around each of her sisters, pulling them in close. “A lot of hugs lately…” Lilith whispered, although she returned Camila’s gesture, as did Mary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get used to it.” Camila replied, pulling her in even tighter. Mary tried to stifle her laughter at this exchange.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Morning came slowly, hazy sunshine burning it’s way through the fog of the prior storm. Muted light stretched across the floor of Ava’s room, illuminating the white blankets on her bed. Beatrice awoke with a sharp intake of breath, confused for a split second as to where she was. As the details quickly aligned, however, she felt herself calm down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava was still asleep, her breathing was slow and calm. She was still wrapped around Beatrice the way she had been the night before. Slowly and carefully, Beatrice turned around to face the halo bearer. Despite the sunlight pouring across her face, Ava didn’t stir. It lit her hair in gold, highlighting the gentle contours of her face. Beatrice couldn’t help but admire her, staring at Ava in what could only be described as a holy reverence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s too early…” Ava mumbled, eventually, her voice thick with sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We still have training today…” Beatrice whispered back, the dread in her voice unmissable. Mother Superion was likely going to give her a dressing down, plus she’d have to field another round of questions from her sisters. It was possible that Beatrice was also reluctant to get out of bed for </span>
  <em>
    <span>another </span>
  </em>
  <span>reason. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh…” Ava groaned, pulling herself into Beatrice’s chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me when I say I wish we could.” Beatrice replied, trying to sound calm as her heart hammered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for coming back.” Ava had finally opened her eyes and she looked at Beatrice as she spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything for you.” Beatrice meant this as a lighthearted joke, but it came out a little bit too serious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what Lilith said you would say.” Ava told her, between her nervous giggles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” Beatrice froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I asked her what she meant by that, but she wouldn’t tell me.” Ava sounded clueless, still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not.” Beatrice replied, wondering how obvious her affections for Ava had been. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pretty obvious, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she realised, given everything that had happened. Given her reaction to…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time to seize the day, then.” Ava stretched dramatically as she spoke, her voice as disappointed as Beatrice felt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for letting me stay last night.” Beatrice’s tone was respectful, but the look on her face betrayed her intensity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Ava gave Beatrice a grin before tumbling out of the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice didn’t answer, choosing not to voice the plethora of reasons why Ava would have said no. Gracefully, Beatrice got up, preferring a less chaotic method of starting the day. She could feel the nervousness within her rising, it was going to be a long day, full of difficult conversations. Explanations for her actions were needed, but Beatrice wasn’t sure she was ready to give them yet. It wouldn’t be as easy to talk to others as it was to explain to Ava.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After they both changed, respectfully in opposite corners of the room, Ava opened the door. Mary, Lilith, and Camila were all clustered outside; it was obvious they had been waiting for several minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning…” Ava mumbled, with an awkward smile. She moved out of the way, letting them all into the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure didn’t waste any time, huh Beatrice?” Mary joked from within the massive hug in the middle of Ava’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop, Mary, you’re embarrassing her.” Lilith replied, causing Camila and Mary to howl with laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava looked on at the mess of emotions that was on display. It was obvious that they were trying to keep the mood light, as if they could sense that Beatrice wouldn’t want to dive into a full on emotional ordeal before breakfast. Most likely, this had been Camila’s idea, but Ava couldn’t be sure. Both Lilith and Mary had shown their softer sides in the last several days, perhaps a testament to the emotional damage within them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So this is what a family looks like, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ava realised, as a smile crossed her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sister Beatrice.” Mother Superion spoke in measured tones as she met with Beatrice, alone, maybe ten minutes later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mother Superion.” Beatrice bowed respectfully, trying to take comfort in knowing her sisters were waiting for her on the other side of the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you are aware that you missed a deadline.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am and I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you are.” Mother Superion replied, completely unreadable. “You know better than me how </span>
  <em>
    <span>out of character</span>
  </em>
  <span> that type of behaviour is for you. I’d expect it from Mary, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ava, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but not you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have worked for several years to earn that reputation.” Beatrice kept her tone neutral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, which is why I’m concerned.” Mother Superion’s icy façade finally broke as she allowed her worry to spill into her words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Beatrice felt stunned, she was sure she would be getting into more trouble than this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sister Beatrice, I know you feel remorse. I didn’t want to meet with you because I wanted to punish you, or hear you apologise a hundred times.” Mother Superion paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I wanted to… I </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to make sure you were okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice stared at Mother Superion, almost unable to believe her words. “You don’t have to look so shocked, you know.” Mother Superion wore a gentle smile as she spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just… Surprised.” Beatrice admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can tell. You shouldn’t be. I know you and your sisters think I’m…” She stopped for a moment, a mischievous look in her eyes. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Cruella de Jesus</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But I care about all of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Beatrice looked down, trying to hide the wince that crossed her face as Mother Superion acknowledged the nickname. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come here.” Mother Superion beckoned, as she stood up. Beatrice obliged, finding herself more than surprised when she was pulled into yet another hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know what happened at the Vatican. I can’t even imagine…” Mother Superion began, after releasing Beatrice from her embrace. “Don’t forget you have a family here, okay? People who love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Beatrice bowed again, sensing the conversation was about to end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One more thing.” Mother Superion added, as she glanced out the window. “I expect you at training today, giving it your best effort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Beatrice couldn’t hide her smile as she left the office.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you smiling?” Mary seemed concerned as Beatrice rejoined her sisters in the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you in trouble?” Ava asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. She’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>mean.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you!” Camila exclaimed, looking pointedly at Lilith, who slid her a fiver. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Were you two betting on this?” Mary gave them a jokingly grumpy look. “You should’ve let me get in on those odds.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we eat now?” Ava rubbed her stomach dramatically. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can eat.” Beatrice grabbed Ava’s hand before she realised what she was doing. As they walked towards the dining room, Ava gave her a look of surprise, but didn’t pull away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got another wager you can get in on.” Lilith told Mary in a whisper, watching Ava and Beatrice walk down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I know where this is going… I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>in.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Importance in the Unsaid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some sense of normality returns, for a moment.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i actually like pineapple on pizza, dont @ me</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>“So…” Mary began, as the five</span> <span>of them warmed up for their sparring session. “Not to blunt, but, where </span><em><span>the fuck </span></em><span>were you, Beatrice?”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Mary…” Ava started to defend her, but was interrupted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright, Ava. I owe all of you an explanation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>owe</span>
  </em>
  <span> us anything, although since we all love you, we’d definitely appreciate it.” Camila tried to smooth over Mary’s crassly phrased question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At first, I went home.” Beatrice seemed detached as she spoke, explaining while she stretched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Lilith seemed surprised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t actually go inside, or even knock though…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s what Lilith did!” Ava blurted out, before she could stop herself. Lilith gave her a sharp look, while everyone else seemed confused. “Sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about we let Beatrice explain, first, before we dive into everyone else’s issues.” Lilith bit, her eyes firmly fixed on Ava.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway…” Beatrice looked between each of her sisters, curious about what had transpired between them. “Long story short, I was… A little bit messed up and I ended up in an underground fight club.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Mary seemed incredulous, but also impressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>bit messed up?” Lilith echoed, concerned with a different element of Beatrice’s explanation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mary, I don’t know what’s hard to believe about that. I’m good at fighting.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s not what I think is weird, and I’m pretty sure you know that.” Mary retorted, sharply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair. Okay. I was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>messed up and I did something reckless and dangerous.” Beatrice answered solemnly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understatement of the year.” Lilith whispered under her breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard that.” Beatrice sighed. “I can’t imagine any of you had a great time while we were on leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so good. </span>
  </em>
  <span>All I did was talk to cute boys and girls, drinking piña coladas.” Ava’s words were light and sarcastic, although Beatrice couldn’t help but focus on the ‘and girls’ part of her sentence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hid in my family’s pool house for a week because I knew I couldn’t actually talk to them or go in the house. The whole time I was gone I spent alternating between emotional breakdowns and angry outbursts.” Lilith admitted, almost without realising she was speaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well now I feel dumb for making a joke…” Ava whispered, her cheeks burning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith, I’m surprised you would admit that.” Camila told her, with a kind voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.” Lilith replied, genuinely shocked that she had said it aloud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Lilith.” Beatrice felt for her and the similarity of the situations. “I’m sorry to all of you, actually. I should have a least answered your messages and -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Beatrice.” Mary interrupted. “It’s okay. I understand. I think we all do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did anyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a good time?” Ava asked, feeling a suddenly desperate need to see her sisters smile. Or, at the very least, be less grim. “Mary? Your trip seemed cool!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Mary and Lilith exchanged a look, remembering their conversation from the night before. “About that…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was it not cool?” Ava seemed crestfallen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was not.” Mary answered, unwilling to give any more answers for the time being. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camila? Please…” Ava sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My time away was probably the best of everyone’s…” Camila felt almost guilty in the admission. “I cried every night and barely slept. I was so worried about </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You only need to worry about these three!” Ava exclaimed, pointing at Beatrice, Mary, and Lilith. “I am fine! Cross me off your worry list, okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>say that.” Lilith added, her face grim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a worry list, Ava. I just care about all of you. Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are so </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked up.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Mary laid back as she spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I agree with Mary, even if her language is obscene.” Beatrice spoke carefully, trying to hide the turmoil she was feeling within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least we’re all here now.” Camila whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True.” Ava echoed, making Beatrice feel a pang of guilt in her stomach. “Should we get on with training? It’s a great distraction! Plus, I need to show Beatrice how much of an amazing fighter I’ve become.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Somehow, I feel like she isn’t going to be impressed.” Lilith asserted, coolly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mother Superion watched from the office window as they sparred down below. While she would never admit it aloud, she thought of them almost as her own children, and cared for them as such. This made it hard, sometimes, to put them into the dangerous situations that the OCS often required. With a sigh, she lifted the phone from her desk, punching in a familiar number. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” The voice on the other end answered after only a single ring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s me.” Mother Superion replied, not feeling the need to identify herself any further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is the purpose of your call?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to know. Have you found him yet?” She asked, her hand tight on cane, unmistakably tense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps you should have trained your girls better, then he wouldn’t have slipped away in the first place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bold, coming from you.” Mother Superion paused, trying to remember her decorum. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t start. We haven’t tracked down our favourite padre yet. You know that I will contact you once I do.” The voice sounded frustrated but she didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know. Thank you.” Mother Superion heard a click as the call disconnected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She resumed her gaze out the window, as she watched Camila trying to help Ava in her sparring match against Beatrice. Even with help, it wasn’t a fair match. Finally, Mother Superion allowed herself to smile. The phone call had brought her bad news, sure, but she was grateful that she didn’t have to send the group of them out right away. Despite the grins they each wore now, the healing that they needed to do was beyond obvious. A few more days within Cat’s Cradle, with each other, could make a difference.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ow.” Ava whispered as her back slammed into the ground. She felt like a balloon that had just been popped, the air was completely gone from her lungs and her vision went slightly spotty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, sorry. Are you okay?” A blurry Beatrice stood over Ava and was quickly joined by her other sisters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you break her?” Camila asked as she looked down at Ava, who couldn’t seem to get a word out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so glad you showed Beatrice how </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing </span>
  </em>
  <span>you are now.” Mary joked as Ava’s vision slowly swam back to focus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was… Good. Wow.” Ava panted, as she slowly rose back to standing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you should take a break and let someone else take a turn.” Beatrice wasn’t joking like everyone else, her eyes were full of concern. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lilith, do you want to have a go?” Camila spoke before Ava could say she was fine to go another round. Knowing Camila, this was likely intentional. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, with sticks this time.” Lilith replied, picking up her weapon from the ground. Camila did the same, stepping onto the mat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Beatrice whispered once she and Ava were seated a few paces away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t. Or, you did, but that’s okay.” Ava felt flustered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay… Well, sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop apologising! I’m not going to get better at fighting if everyone treats me like a baby. Adriel didn’t pull his punches against me and neither should you.” Ava spoke in anger, regretting the words the moment she said them, especially as she saw the look that crossed Beatrice’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava…” Beatrice warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I just…” Ava stuttered, trying to backpedal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not wrong, Ava. It’s just… Too soon. I can’t imagine…” Beatrice felt like she could barely breathe. “I thought I lost you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And who’s fault is that?” Ava’s anger came rushing to the surface again, feelings she didn’t even know had been stirring within her. “Mine! If I wasn’t such a horrible warrior nun, I would have fought better. None of us would be in the situation we are now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s hardly fair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t it?” Ava exhaled sharply. “I can never know what you went through that day, because I was too busy </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But when I think about it, when I try to remember, I barely even care about that part!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you care about?” Beatrice’s voice sounded constricted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You.” Ava sighed. “Whether or not I die is inconsequential. But knowing what my failure that day cost you… That kills me. It’s a debt I worry I’ll never be able to repay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Ava…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop. Don’t say my name, I can’t focus when you do.” Without another word, Ava stood suddenly, booking it towards the building. Once she reached the wall, she phased through it, desperate to put some distance between her and Beatrice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Only then, did Beatrice realise her sisters had been watching this fight, the clacking noise of the sticks noticeably absent. Her brain seemed to be running too slow, trying to put together the pieces with what Ava had said. Perhaps more importantly, the meanings of what she had left unsaid. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Upping the Ante</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amends are made.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i might take a break from writing this for like one day, im feeling rushed and burned out with it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beatrice waited an hour before going after Ava. She would have followed her immediately, but Mary suggested she wait, to try and give Ava some time to cool off. While Beatrice had obliged, her mind was already working through what had been said. There was subtext within Ava’s words, obvious hidden meanings, that made Beatrice feel more than she thought was possible. It was completely and utterly overwhelming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can probably go now. It’s been long enough, I think.” Mary whispered, breaking Beatrice from her complicated introspections. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck.” Camila added, giving Beatrice’s shoulder a quick squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seconded.” Lilith echoed Camila’s sentiment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Sorry to disrupt training.” Beatrice gave them an awkward wave, desperately trying to keep herself from sprinting towards Ava’s room as she crossed the courtyard. Behind her, she heard her sisters resuming their training. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hallway leading to Ava’s room seemed ten times longer than it used to, and twice as cold. Beatrice knew this was most likely a trick of her mental state, but a shiver ran down her spine all the same. She walked quietly, never making a sound that wasn’t intentional. After what seemed like several minutes, she found herself outside Ava’s door. Quiet sobbing could be heard from within, the sound alone forcing Beatrice’s heart into a hurried tempo. Eventually, she knocked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can come in, Beatrice.” Ava’s hoarse voice called from within. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you know it was me?” She asked, swinging open the door and then closing it behind her. Ava was sitting in the windowsill and didn’t turn around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had a feeling.” She sounded far away, despite the small distance between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, I’m -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say my name, please. I don’t deserve it and it’s distracting.” Ava’s words were spoken more sharply than Beatrice had ever heard before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Beatrice paused, waiting to see if she would be interrupted a second time. “I’m sorry.” She repeated herself, unsure of how to continue. It wasn’t often that Beatrice felt hesitant in a course of action; she felt disarmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t owe me an apology. I owe you one. I’m sorry.” Ava was speaking with a rigid sense of timing. It seemed stiff and over rehearsed. “I shouldn’t have caused a scene. I didn’t even realise I felt all of that… Most of that. It just… Came out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we talk about it? Please?” Beatrice knew that she sounded almost as if she was begging. In truth, she was. The thought of losing Ava, after everything, made her feel sick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… Okay.” Whatever Ava had been expecting Beatrice to say, it wasn’t that. “Can we do the question thing? Like we did last night? I ask you a question, then vice versa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” She took a deep breath and could hear Ava do the same. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Progress.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can go first.” Ava whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t I say your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava froze at the question. Her heart raced as she debated whether or not to tell the truth. After an interminable minute or two, she had made her decision. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… Distracting. It makes me feel like I’m on fire… But also freezing. I don’t know if that makes sense.” Ava paused for a moment. “You can say it, I’m sorry. It was just… Overwhelming before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” A single word was all Beatrice managed to choke out. Her resolve was completely shattered at this revelation and its meaning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you email anyone back?” Ava asked, still looking out the window, while Beatrice stood in the middle of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>reason. I felt ashamed of myself, for letting my emotions so strongly dictate my performance while on mission.” Beatrice knew she sounded too formal, too detached. “At the same time though, I knew I had to come to terms with those emotions… It doesn’t seem like they’ll be going away anytime soon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Ava’s tone was unreadable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really blame yourself?” Beatrice needed to know, needed to understand Ava’s reasoning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do.” She exhaled, trying to gather some emotional fortitude as she stood to face Beatrice. “It is. I know everyone is trying to tiptoe around the issue, but it's simple. If I weren’t such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck up,</span>
  </em>
  <span> everyone would be less screwed up right now!” Ava shouted the last word, her eyes red and brimming with tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava…” Beatrice took a step forward, her desire to help Ava stronger than any other thought in her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed </span>
  </em>
  <span>for me, Beatrice. You lost yourself completely!” Ava was fully screaming now, bordering on unhinged. “Why?! How, </span>
  <em>
    <span>HOW, </span>
  </em>
  <span>is that worth it?! I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>replaceable!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not to me.” Beatrice whispered, her voice barely audible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Ava’s anger seemed to dissolve and she matched Beatrice’s tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without another word between them, Beatrice closed the gap, acting decisively. Their lips crashed together, tears falling from both their cheeks. An urgent and hungry energy surged between them, a buildup of words that had gone unspoken too long. Ava wrapped her arms around her, never wanting Beatrice to leave again. All the while, the halo’s glow filled the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… The feeling </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>mutual.” Ava whispered as they pulled away, several moments later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know for sure…” Beatrice sighed, gently tucking away Ava’s stray strands of hair. “Until today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for… For everything.” Ava mumbled, as she tucked herself into the crook of Beatrice’s neck. Her anger had evaporated completely, although her guilt remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.” Beatrice replied, her face beet red at Ava’s continued touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava suddenly pushed herself away from Beatrice, with a gasp. “How are we going to tell everyone?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava…” Beatrice paused for a moment, savouring the feeling of saying Ava’s name. “I’m pretty sure they knew.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did they know? I didn’t know, you didn’t know!” Ava’s panic was oddly comical. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When Mary and Shannon… Before they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>together, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was really obvious to all of us that they had feelings for each other. It was funny, honestly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could have seen that…” Ava trailed off, trying to imagine Mary flustered like she was now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was sweet.” Beatrice thought back, remembering how different everything had been. “Those were happier times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think we’ll have happy times again?” Ava asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you keep fighting for the good guys.” Beatrice answered calmly, holding Ava’s hands in her own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course… Can I admit something? It’s kind of embarrassing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may.” Beatrice smiled, curious about what Ava would say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m really relieved you feel… The same. I don’t know how I would have handled it, honestly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could say the same to you.” Beatrice admitted, feeling her own sense of relief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Funny how that works out sometimes, huh?” Ava pulled Beatrice in for another hug, her gratefulness overwhelming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dinner came later, although the time seemed to fly. Ava and Beatrice headed into the dining room together, quickly finding their friends at a table in the corner. After getting their trays, they joined the group. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you two make up?” Camila wondered, barely waiting for them to sit down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We did.” Ava answered shortly, unwilling to give up any more information about what had happened, at least until Beatrice was ready. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beatrice? You good?” Mary asked, looking at Beatrice’s face. She looked odd, to be fair, as she tried to repress her smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… Yeah.” Beatrice mumbled, as Ava squeezed her leg under the table, making it even harder for Beatrice to keep her composure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you two acting so weird?” Lilith was eyeing them suspiciously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>God. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>God!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Is what I think happening?” Mary’s face broke into a wide smile. Ava looked at Beatrice before answering, who gave her a small nod of approval. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Mary exclaimed, standing up and smacking the table. “Pay up Camila!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Were you betting on us?” Beatrice was amused but slightly offended.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>on you!” Camila clambered to defend herself. “Lilith and I have been betting on a lot of things… Mary too, more recently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that allowed?” Ava asked, genuinely unsure of the rules.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Strictly speaking, no. But in the OCS, at least our branch, we’re soldiers first. As long as missions get completed and the infractions aren’t egregious, everyone turns a blind eye.” Mary explained, perhaps more familiar with this than anyone else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Ava smiled as she spoke, before giving Beatrice a super quick kiss on the cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So cute!” Camila squealed, happy for both of them, even if she had lost the bet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to barf.” Lilith moaned, simultaneously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy that you two are good now.” Mary’s words were genuine and it was clear that she was speaking from experience in a way that Camila and Lilith couldn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mary.” Beatrice gave her a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think…” Ava paused, dramatically drumming her fingers on the table. “We should do something fun tonight, to really bond as a unit.” Ava’s attempt to talk like a soldier fell flat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Such as we all go to a bar and get plastered?” Mary suggested, knowing that whatever Ava was going to suggest would probably be worse.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No. We should do a </span>
  <em>
    <span>team bonding activity.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ava sounded like a camp counselor as she announced her plan, earning a groan from everyone at the table.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Communion Wine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone tries to get their shit together.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>oh hi, sorry i didn't see you there, i was just in the middle of a mental breakdown</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Ava, this is stupid.” Mary announced after dinner, as Ava joined her sisters at a table in the courtyard. In her hand was a print out of various team bonding activities, similar to those one might be forced to do at summer camp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree with Mary.” Lilith added, although her tone wasn’t unkind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys haven’t even let me set up the props yet…” Ava seemed oddly surprised at a predictable reaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>props?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Lilith stared at Ava as she spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camila, can you come with me?” Mary asked, standing up from the table. “We’ll be right back. Please, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please, </span>
  </em>
  <span>do not set up any… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Activities</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Ava plopped back down in her seat, exhaling sharply. Beatrice placed a hand on the small of her back, gently, as reassurance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a sweet idea, Ava.” Camila was being kind, yet genuine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Ava’s eyes were wide, her childish innocence worn plainly on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really.” Beatrice answered for Camila, giving Ava a small smile as she did. Ava promptly returned it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Camila and Mary returned from the building. Mary had several bottles of wine in the crook of her arm and Camila was carrying a small basket, along with some paper cups. She began unpacking this at the table, revealing a loaf of bread, a few types of cheese, and some fruit. It was a surprisingly adult spread, all things considered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mary…” Lilith began, with a curious look in her eye. “Is this communion wine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It very well might be.” Mary replied, trying to retain an air of mysteriousness about her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that allowed?” Ava couldn’t help but wonder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine Mother Superion approving this.” Beatrice noted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who do you think gave it to me?” Mary retorted. She had obviously been ready for the question, making Camila giggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit.” Ava swore before she could stop herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Language.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Lilith snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It really happened.” Camila added simultaneously. “I might not have believed it either, had I not witnessed it myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough about rules, let’s get into it.” Mary popped open the first bottle, giving each of her sisters a healthy pour. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get into </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> exactly?” Beatrice asked as she swirled the wine around in her cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we’re ever going to work together as a functional unit, I think we should get everything out in the open. That way, we can at least be on the same page about how </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked up </span>
  </em>
  <span>we all are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Language!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Camila chastised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this a good idea?” Lilith wondered, trying to decide whether or not she actually wanted to share.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s definitely better than letting our emotions fester in silence until we randomly fight with one another.” Mary answered with a pointed look at Ava. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair point.” Ava agreed in a pained whisper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Mary paused to drain her cup. “Since this was my idea, I’ll start.” She stopped for a second time, thinking about what she wanted to say. “Wow, this is harder than I thought.” Mary admitted with a laugh, after several seconds of silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t always been the most open person, emotionally.” Lilith told her. “You must have realised that this was a bit of an ambitious plan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Takes one to know one.” Mary gave Lilith a slight punch on the shoulder as she spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry that you guys lost Shannon and got stuck with me. I’m a bad halo bearer and it’s beyond obvious. Everyone, especially Beatrice, is </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked up</span>
  </em>
  <span> because of me. If you wanted to take the halo out and put it into someone more worthy, I wouldn’t blame you.” Ava’s words came from nowhere and she ran through her sentences quickly, with oddly stilted diction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not…” Camila began, while everyone reeled at Ava’s sudden apology.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is.” Ava interrupted. “We wouldn’t have even faced Adriel if it weren’t for my stupid </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all agreed to go to the Vatican.” Mary whispered, leaving Father Vincent’s betrayal unsaid, but implied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean… I didn’t.” Lilith said in a hoarse voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you didn’t.” Ava sounded angry. “But you could easily say that was my fault as well. I think it’s time we all face the obvious solution here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which is?” Mary was the only one who hadn’t caught Ava’s implied meaning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to find a new halo bearer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one spoke for several minutes after that, although they each finished their drink, which was quickly topped off by Mary. In retrospect, Ava’s guilt seemed almost blinding. Their group had been so shattered, so closed off after the battle with Adriel, that a lot went unnoticed. Between all of them, honestly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the ever-lengthening silence, Beatrice was spiraling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did her reaction make Ava’s guilt worse? How could Ava even think like this? There was no way they could just replace her as the bearer! </span>
  </em>
  <span>A stray tear escaped her eye, although Beatrice wasn’t the only one crying at the table. Truly, it had been an impressively weepy couple of days for everyone. Eventually, Lilith broke the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No offense, Ava, but that’s one of the stupidest things you’ve ever said.” She offered Ava a grin as she spoke, even though her eyes were wet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, but it’s how I feel, at least right now.” Ava admitted, quietly. “You guys are amazing, truly. You’re all talented, smart… Good at everything you do. You all deserve a much better champion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unlike most halo bearers, you were chosen by a higher power than the Order.” Camila’s words were barely audible. “Resurrections aren’t exactly common.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s only happened twice.” Beatrice finally found her voice. “Once with you, once with Areala. That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>it.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still…” Ava didn’t seem to have a good rebuttal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still, nothing.” Mary filled Ava’s cup once more. “We’re stuck with you and you’re stuck with us. End of story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened with Adriel was… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Unfortunate. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But you weren’t given much training or time to prepare. I’m sure that, in time, you’ll become at least adequate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least adequate.” Ava echoed. “High praise, coming from you.” Lilith didn’t respond verbally, instead she lifted her glass towards Ava with a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now that we’ve gotten the ball rolling, and we’re all a little drunk, I’d just like to take a moment to call dibs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On?” Beatrice prompted, unsure if she would like the answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When we find Father Vincent, I want to be the one to kill him.” She stated resolutely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you be so cavalier about taking a life?” Beatrice asked, anger rising within her. With startling clarity, she felt as though she was back in the Vatican, her knife finding two victims, innocent civilians who happened to get caught in the demonic crossfire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it…” Mary replied sharply, although she regretted her words as soon as they were spoken. Beatrice looked broken, still, and Mary couldn’t deny that she would have done the same thing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” She quickly backpedaled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you’re right.” Beatrice’s cheeks were red. “We’re supposed to avoid killing civilians, even if they are possessed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bea…” Camila tried to intervene, placing a hand on Beatrice’s arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not right, that was out of turn, I’m sorry. If it had been Shannon…” Mary didn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t need to, her meaning was obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we should kill Vincent.” Lilith rejoined the conversation, noticeably dropping the </span>
  <em>
    <span>father </span>
  </em>
  <span>from his name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Ava wondered aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me rephrase that. I don’t think we should kill him right away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think he has information.” Beatrice stated, always one step ahead of everyone else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s definitely a few questions I can think of.” Lilith responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fair.” Mary felt slightly ashamed at her brutality. She couldn’t help but wonder if Shannon would have approved of this behaviour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are we really just going to drink wine, eat bread, cry, and argue with each other?” Ava finally asked, after a short silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, it’s actually very Catholic if you think about it.” Camila replied. Ava crossed herself, although she did it backwards. Beatrice couldn’t help but think the attempt was cute. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The evening continued on like this for several more hours. Conversations rapidly oscillated between darkly emotional, to kind-hearted teasing. In explanation, perhaps, it seems odd. Yet that night, within the safe walls of Cat’s Cradle, it made perfect sense. Eventually, each of them stumbled from the table, having drunk a little bit too much wine for a comfortable buzz. Of course, everyone made it back to their rooms. Despite the influence of alcohol, the mood within the group was lighter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Healing had finally begun.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. A Brief Respite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An important call comes through.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>two chapters in 10 minutes, fuck me up</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A routine blur consumed the next few days. Training, eating, and sleeping took up most of the team’s time. Ava and Beatrice continued to spend their nights together, although they did little more than kiss. There seemed to be a block between them, something to prevent anything more from developing. After their bizarre evening discussion, each of the sisters was a little bit more open with one another. Understanding, too, seemed to be a more common theme in all of their friendships than it had before. In short, things were good. For a moment, at least. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lilith?” Ava asked, as they sat at dinner. “Can I ask you a question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already did.” This response earned a joking glare from Ava. “Okay, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How come you don’t want to train with me? With…” Ava’s voice dropped to a whisper. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Powers?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s awfully blunt.” Lilith sighed as she noticed everyone’s eyes were on her, curious. Ava was the only one with the gusto, or tactlessness) required to ask. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Lilith began again. “I do </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to. Or I don’t. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. But… I’m scared, too. It brings out the worst in me, it’s just…” She looked down, unsure of how to continue. “I know that it could be the difference in battle, I’m just not ready yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay.” Ava put a calming hand on Lilith’s back. “I understand. You’ll get there.” It was a kind gesture, a reminder of how their friendship had come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, serious talk now.” Ava announced, after the tender moment had passed. “I beat Sister Teresa in every round today at training.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s a bitch.” Mary whispered, under her breath, but evidently not quiet enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Language!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Camila and Beatrice echoed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, you both know I’m right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are.” Lilith agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you can start training with the real opponents again, huh Ava?” Lilith was teasing now. Ava was always welcome to train with them, of course, but Mother Superion had sent Ava to train with some of the other, younger nuns, to try and get Ava more acquainted with basic skills.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty soon!” Ava smiled and Beatrice felt herself light up as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom sent me a new recipe to try.” Camila added, making Ava’s ears immediately perk up. “Does anyone want to help me cook, or eat, tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know the first thing about cooking, but I will definitely be there for the eating part!” Ava replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be there, too.” Beatrice answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where goes one, so goes the other.” Mary grinned at Beatrice. “I’ll come too, Camila. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess now I have to!” Lilith exclaimed with a touch of drama, pretending to be put out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess so.” Camila replied, a huge smile on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we making?” Ava’s eyes were wide with excitement for sugar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to wait until after dinner.” Camila said with a wink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the building, a phone rang. Mother Superion answered it quickly, a sinking feeling in her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve found him.” The voice said, not bothering with any formalities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?” Mother Superion hated the desperation she heard in herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surprisingly close to home. I’ll send details along shortly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s odd. Why would he stay so close?” Mother Superion asked, as the sinking feeling in her stomach intensified. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your job to figure out, not mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well.” She replied, the venom unmistakable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is…” The voice on the other end of the line paused for a moment. “One more thing that you should know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which is?” There it was, that desperation again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some of the reports say that he’s… How do I put this? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Different.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I’m going to need more information than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but we don’t have much. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mother Superion was taken aback at the apology. “Send me all you have.” She replied, still reeling slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck.” The voice answered, another unusual nicety. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” The line was already dead by the time Mother Superion spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked out the window for a moment, before her computer rang with a notification. The promised data, no doubt. With hungry eyes, she looked through it, feeling herself grow cold at the possibilities. Mother Superion tried to compose herself, looking out the window once more. There was no moon in the sky, the night was dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava! If you throw one more marshmallow at me, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>kill you!” Mary yelled, as she ducked behind one of the stoves in the Cat’s Cradle kitchen. Ava’s screaming laughter could be heard for miles as she ran and phased after Mary, pelting her with marshmallows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of you, quit it!” Camila was trying to intervene. “I need those marshmallows!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is going well.” Lilith observed, dryly, from the far side of the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava.” Beatrice spoke as controlled as she could, which was hard, since she was holding back laughter. At the sound of Beatrice’s voice, Ava stopped dead in her tracks, sliding across the floor a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Ava looked at Beatrice like a puppy that just got scolded, while Mary rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camila needs those marshmallows, so you’re going to have to… Marsh-mellow out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava smiled wide, before turning around and whipping a final marshmallow at Mary. “Okay, okay. This is just revenge for the cliff incident.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The cliff incident?” Camila wondered aloud what everyone else had been thinking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In my defense, you definitely deserved it.” Mary retorted as she took a seat next to Lilith, while Ava elected to lean against the counter, closer to the baking action. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, that’s fair.” Ava replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can somebody </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>explain?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s not that much to explain. Mary pushed me off a cliff one time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Beatrice looked between them rapidly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s fine though, look at her.” Mary gestured towards Ava. “No harm, no foul. She was driving me up the wall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, it was a well-deserved prank. It didn’t even hurt as bad as you might think.” Ava was calm as she explained. Mary pointed towards Ava again, as if to say: </span>
  <em>
    <span>see?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not entirely sure that justifies it…” Beatrice hated how overprotective she felt, but she also hated the idea of Ava being in pain. Halo or otherwise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean…” Camila worked to avoid Beatrice’s eye. “It’s pretty funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s it.” Beatrice replied menacingly, a sudden hint of mischief in her voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sneaky hand, Beatrice grabbed a handful of flour, flinging it at Camila. Against her dark clothes, it was a stark contrast. A gasp from her sisters seemed to hang in the air for a moment, before Camila returned the favour. Gently, Camila removed an egg from the carton, throwing it at Beatrice without remorse. Almost at once, all five of them were flinging food around, making a complete mess of the kitchen. Lighthearted smiles occupied their faces as they shouted at one another, caught up in the childish amusement of it all. So caught up, in fact, that they missed the person standing in the doorway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sisters.” Mother Superion stood, stony faced, looking at the now-filthy kitchen. “I know we might be slightly lax about some rules of decorum here, given your excellent service to the Order. If, however, this is how you choose to behave, I assure you that everything will become much stricter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She paused for a moment, to let her words sink in. “I’m glad you understand. Clean this up immediately, then clean yourselves up. I need to see all of you in my office, no later than nine. Do I make myself clear?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am.” Beatrice replied, the only one brave enough to speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mother Superion turned and left, just as fast as she appeared. A tear slid down her cheek as she made her way back to the office. This was the first time she had seen any of them happy, truly happy, in weeks. Within the hour, however, all of that happiness would come crashing down once more. She wondered, although she tried not to, if her girls would be able to recover a second time.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Distraction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He's just *built different*</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>fuck</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beatrice made it to Mother Superion’s office first, five minutes early. Eventually, everyone else made it, and Ava was only a few minutes late. They stood in her office, solemnly, and Mother Superion felt a fresh wave of guilt for tearing down their newfound happiness. She sighed, trying to find comfort in the dark view beyond her window, but there was none to be found.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s been found.” She spoke finally, her tone measured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?” Mary asked, before anyone else could speak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s here, in Málaga. On the outskirts of the city, according to the reports from Pope Duretti and his contacts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my boy, Popey D.” Ava said this aloud, although she hadn’t been meaning to. It just came out. She quickly clasped her hands over her mouth in embarrassment, as everyone else stared at her for a moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my god, Ava!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make sense.” Beatrice’s mind was running at full speed, only momentarily distracted by Ava’s odd outburst. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed. Why would he stay so close when he knows everyone here wants to kill him?” Mary wondered, the anger in her voice obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s several possibilities.” Beatrice turned to face Mother Superion more directly. “Is that all the information that you have?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a few more issues, unfortunately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, good.” Lilith whispered, feeling frustrated. Mother Superion shot her a look, but didn’t comment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“None of the reports are particularly detailed, but they all have something in common. Each one, all from different contacts mind you, reference Father Vincent’s sudden differentness.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That could mean anything.” Camila whispered, feeling the cold vice of panic constricting against her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Mother Superion sounded as frustrated as everyone felt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It could be a trap.” Beatrice said with a gravelly tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought the same.” Mary agreed, giving Beatrice a quick look. “Why else would he stay so close?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he was going to infiltrate the cradle?” Camila suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He certainly has the knowledge to do so, he’s spent years here. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were others loyal to Adriel - loyal to him.” Lilith’s thoughts seemed obvious, although the implications were stress inducing regardless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would he come here?” Ava asked, hoping that her theory was wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To kill you.” Mother Superion replied darkly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, so my theory wasn’t wrong. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Without Adriel, what could he do with the halo?” Mary tried to shift the attention away from Ava, since she seemed freaked out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s impossible to know. There used to be a lot more information about the halo but so much of it has been lost to time. That and… Some of what we know turns out to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>untrue.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Mother Superion explained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s our mission then?” Lilith cut to the chase. “We can sit around here and hypothesise all we want, or commiserate about how historical texts have been lost. But we have a job to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re correct.” Mother Superion tried to take a deep breath but it seemed impossible. “I want him brought in alive. Minimise contact with civilians. No casualties.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re sending all five of us, trained and well-armed fighters, to kidnap a single man?” Ava felt stupid questioning Mother Superion, but it seemed like overkill. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just in case.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus, it’s more like four well-trained fighters, then you.” Lilith teased Ava, trying to lighten the unmistakable tension that had settled over the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough.” Mother Superion barked. “Get going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without another word, they quickly left, heading to the armory. Their footsteps echoed against the stone walls of the training room as Camila unlocked the metal door. Mary quickly loaded two shotguns, her shotguns, since no one else ever dared to touch them. She pocketed several extra shells, just in case. Lilith looked down at her hands, seemingly claw-free for the time being. Feeling better with a second weapon though, she quickly pulled a shortsword from the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava didn’t really have a choice of weapons, since she was destined for the Divinium sword. Still, she gave it a reverent once over, before flinging it over her shoulder, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. While Ava had to fake her confidence, Beatrice didn’t. She felt hardened and determined, she was stronger now. With practiced hands, she slid all of her knives into place. Camila was undoubtedly less decisive. One of her hands hovered over a crossbow, the other over a rifle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pick the crossbow. It’s both cooler and sexier.” Lilith whispered, although everyone could hear her. “People who use guns are losers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear </span>
  </em>
  <span>you.” Mary hissed, far from angry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, yet I don’t care.” Lilith gave Mary a look, before turning back to Camila with a quick smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Camila announced, holstering the crossbow. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They drove silently, Mary at the helm, no one feeling the need to disturb the fragile silence. It had been such a rapid shift between juvenile fun to life or death mission that everyone was feeling a little bit of whiplash. That, and the fact that no one was exactly sure what to expect when they saw Father Vincent again. Surely, it was going to be a long night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re just supposed to wait around until we see him in this neighborhood?” Ava was incredulous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since none of us had the foresight to implant him with a tracking beacon, yes, that’s exactly what we are going to do.” Beatrice snapped, a little too sharp, at Ava. Quickly, she reached out a hand of apology, which Ava understood and accepted. It wasn’t Ava she was angry at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just like that, the silence settled around them once more. Mary slowly maneuvered the car around the same streets, over and over again. After several minutes of this, everyone began feeling restless. It was difficult and mind numbingly boring, yet they had to be ready to jump into action at any second. Existence in paradox. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe this isn’t relevant but I just saw a wraith shoot down in that alley.” Ava mumbled, pointing towards a block of buildings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll pull over.” Mary replied, quickly parking at the closest available spot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think it’s him?” Ava seemed shocked at the concept. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t matter. If it isn’t, we still help an innocent person. If it is, well then we’ve begun our mission.” Mary’s tone sounded neutral; her emotions were anything but. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were blissfully few civilians out that night, which made their approach slightly less awkward. Ava led the way, her hand on the hilt of her sword, just in case. While her faith was questionable at best, she found herself praying in her mind, hoping for a good outcome to this battle. She didn’t want to see the consequences of another close call, another dark day. The alley seemed to stretch forever, but finally, she rounded the corner. Her sisters followed close behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Girls. Hello.” Father Vincent, maybe just Vincent now, stood before them. He looked different than they had ever seen him, but he was still instantly recognisable. Gone was his collar, that once marked him as a member of the clergy. Instead, he wore a white t-shirt, his tattoos fully on display. With the proximity to Ava, they were bright, and she couldn’t help but stare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I hoped it would be you.” Mary growled, gun already in hand, pointed towards her former mentor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mary…” Camila cautioned, quietly, knowing they weren’t supposed to kill him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t want me dead, huh?” Vincent asked, with a small smile and a tilt of his head. He was teasing them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something’s wrong! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ava thought, a moment before the back doors of the alleyway flew open, revealing dozens of people. Dozens of possessed people, streaming with red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re all possessed!” Ava shouted, warned her sisters. It wasn’t a dissimilar scene to the Vatican, as they began to fight their way through the horde. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep an eye on Vincent!” Beatrice called as she expertly fought her way through the crowd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her sisters seemed to be holding their own, there weren’t so many people that they were overwhelmed, so Ava ducked her way towards Vincent. He was moving quickly, aiming for the back of the alley. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s trying to get away, this is a distraction. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ava pushed herself to run faster, phasing through anyone who got in her way. A few long seconds later, she caught up to Vincent, catching him by the wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How!?” Ava screamed, as she roughly pulled the fleeing man to face her. She could feel the halo’s anger feeding off her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How, what?” He asked, surprisingly calm. There was something different in his eyes but Ava couldn’t quite place it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what!” Ava was still yelling, letting her anger get the best of her. She gestured towards the crowd of the possessed. It couldn’t be a coincidence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of replying, Vincent raised a hand towards the sky, calling several more wraiths into the crowd and repossessing those who had been freed. Ava stared, then turned back to Vincent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?!” She screamed, again, punching him across the face. He was trying to slip from her grip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have time to find out?” He questioned her, as the crowd behind Ava grew. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>She turned, maintaining a brutal hold on Vincent, and looked back towards her sisters. The horde had grown, it was unmistakable. Her sisters couldn’t hold out forever, she was needed elsewhere. Panic rose in her throat, but she knew what she had to do. It was the only choice. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ava yelled, letting Vincent go. He bolted down a dark alley, as Ava rejoined the battle, desperate to help the only family she had.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Shattered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ava saves them from battle, but at what cost?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>im over caffeinated and depressed, heres another chapter i guess</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Ava, if you could…” Mary paused, throwing several punches to keep from being overwhelmed. “Do the thing now, it’d be really great!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m.... Trying!” Ava panted in response, fighting several people on her own. She was truly trying to get the halo to blast through the possessed crowd like it had in the Vatican. For some reason, she just didn’t feel the same sense of urgency. Even with the increased amount of demons, thanks Vincent, she and her sisters were doing well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure, there were a few small injuries here and there, a split nose or a broken rib. Nothing drastic though, and these were all par for the course at the OCS. It was obvious this wouldn’t last, even with their combined skill and weaponry, they were outnumbered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on halo, do something! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ava pleaded with the halo, yet it seemed dormant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sounds of fighting filled the alleyway, echoing off of the buildings that surrounded them. It had been several minutes, but Ava and her sisters had made little progress. There were too many people, plus, they were getting tired. With frantic eyes, Ava searched for Beatrice amongst the horde, needing to be sure that she was okay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Simultaneously, Beatrice had been looking for Ava. Their eyes met for a moment, before Beatrice was tackled by one of the possessed, dropping her heavily to the ground. In that split second, Ava had been a distraction, a dangerous one. She felt a scream rise from within her, but she didn’t hear it. She didn’t hear anything. The halo exploded in a rush of gold, concussive and bright. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, there was nothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice’s ears rang as she slowly lifted herself from the ground. Pain shot through her body as she stood, rubbing the dust from her eyes. There was blood on the ground, her own? She was well aware that her mind was running too slow and she was slightly off balance as she tried to walk. Smoke hung in the air and massive chunks of rubble were strewn about as if thrown there. A cool ocean breeze began moving through, thankfully increasing visibility by a small margin. Beatrice couldn’t believe that Ava had done this… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ava!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mentally, Beatrice chastised herself as she picked her way through the rubble, towards where she thought Ava had been. She couldn’t hear anything as she walked, not even her own breath, which she knew was ragged and sharp. With a shaking hand, she touched her ears, surprised to find them bloody. </span>
  <em>
    <span>From the explosion, of course. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Beatrice put the pieces together, albeit much too slow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sudden, strong hand grabbed her arm, and Beatrice pivoted to attack. It was only Mary, though, who quickly released her, at the threat of getting hit. She looked as bad as Beatrice felt. Her lips were moving, she was talking, but Beatrice couldn’t hear anything over the oppressive ringing in her ears. Eventually, Mary figured out what had happened, leading Beatrice back towards the car in a hurry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice was relieved to see Ava and her sisters, although they all looked wretched. Ava was unconscious, coated with too much blood for comfort. No one spoke as they drove away, although Beatrice could feel the ringing in her head dissipate, as her mind seemed to finally speed up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they drove up to Cat’s Cradle, she snapped her fingers several times, to see if she could hear the noise now. Thankfully, she could, and a smile spread across her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bea… What are you doing?” Camila asked, her voice unmistakably hoarse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. I couldn’t hear for a while there and…” She didn’t finish her sentence. When she had turned around to answer Camila’s question, she caught sight of Ava. It was too similar to </span>
  <em>
    <span>then, </span>
  </em>
  <span>to </span>
  <em>
    <span>before. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her breath caught in her throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith caught her by the shoulder, sensing Beatrice’s sudden panic. “It’s not like before. She’s alive, she’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… How…” Beatrice could barely choke out a sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sitting right next to her. She’s breathing normally.” Lilith’s face was bruised and bloody, but the concern in her eyes was focused solely on Beatrice. “It’s not like before.” She repeated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like before.” Ava croaked, suddenly cracking open an eyelid. “You all look terrible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s fault is that?” Mary asked as she parked the car, although she smiled wide upon hearing Ava’s voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I…” Like Beatrice, Ava didn’t seem to be running on all four cylinders yet. “Sorry I blew us up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Camila assured her, with a voice that was equally raspy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mother Superion was standing outside the garage, waiting for them. Her face was borderline unreadable, with an expression lying somewhere between anger, relief, and fear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?!” She sounded nervous as the sisters approached her, dust puffing off them with every step. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adriel…” Ava whispered, as she swayed slightly under the weight of her exhaustion and injuries. Lilith wrapped an arm around her, holding Ava upright. “Did something to Fa - Vincent. Controls wraiths.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone froze at the admission. Of course, it was obvious now, but in the heat of battle and the panic of the aftermath, no one had the mental faculties to put the pieces together. Now, however, as the dust died down, Ava forced those pieces together, bringing about the revelation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… Impossible.” Mother Superion looked like she was going to vomit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not.” Mary replied, her voice gravelly. “It was a nightmare.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are we -” Ava began to ask, before blacking out once more. Lilith caught her before she hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Infirmary, now.” Mother Superion gestured towards the building. “All of you.” No one argued with her, instead, they headed in slowly. A march of defeat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mother Superion stood outside for several minutes longer, trying to regain her breath. Her heart was beating too fast and she felt sick. If what they said about Vincent was true, then the implications and the possibilities seemed endless. Endlessly horrifying. Her knuckles were white against the cane as she tried to focus and calm down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mother Superion?” A voice asked, interrupting her thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?” Mother Superion turned, trying to control her facial expressions. “Oh, Sister Teresa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a phone call for you, in the office.” Sister Teresa stated with respect. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Thank you.” Mother Superion headed inside, in a hurry. Her heart was still banging against her rib cage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” Sister Teresa replied, after she was alone. A small smile crept across her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava awoke with a gasping scream, an hour later. She tried to rip herself from the bed, but she couldn’t. Thoughts ran through her head at lightning speed, as though her mind was trying to make up for lost time. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m paralysed again! </span>
  </em>
  <span>No, that wasn’t it. It was Mary. The strong force that kept her down was Mary, who was patiently waiting for Ava’s thoughts to catch up with her actions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Christ, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ava. Can you chill?” Mary exclaimed as she kept Ava pressed into the bed by her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry.” Ava replying, trying to calm the panic within. Mary removed her hands and allowed Ava to sit up more slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s better.” Mary gave her a small smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava looked around the room. They were all filthy, covered in dirty rubble from the explosion. There was blood, too, although it seemed that the worst of their wounds had been dressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everyone okay?” Ava asked after a few moments of silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As okay as we could be, all things considered.” Camila answered quietly. Her face was bruised along one side and she was bandaged from wrist to elbow on her left side. Ava felt a pang of guilt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did well, Ava.” Beatrice added. Ava stared at her for several seconds before answering, trying to assess how badly she was hurt. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>seemed </span>
  </em>
  <span>okay, a few cuts and bruises, but Ava could see pain in her eyes, clear as anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ava could feel herself crying, leaving streaks in the dirt that covered her face. “I’m sorry, I hurt all of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You also </span>
  <em>
    <span>saved </span>
  </em>
  <span>all of us, so it kind of balances out.” Lilith was trying to be lighthearted, for Ava’s sake. Beatrice thought it was sweet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we going to do now?” Ava wondered, as Lilith’s words did little to ease her guilt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right now, I think we could all use a night of sleep.” Mary was pragmatic, if nothing else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” Ava sounded uncharacteristically intense. “Adri - Vincent is out there. We can’t just do nothing. We need to go now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one missed Ava’s slip, her subconscious fears displayed in a moment. Beatrice stood up with a wince, tenderly walking towards Ava and offering her a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bed, now.” Beatrice commanded. Ava reluctantly followed with a scowl. “You three as well.” Beatrice added before exiting the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, okay.” Camila replied, before waving them away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, you need to relax for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>moment.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Beatrice snapped the moment they were behind closed doors, safely tucked away in Ava’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can I?” Ava wasn’t angry at Beatrice in the slightest, but she was beyond frustrated at the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I don’t know.” Beatrice whispered after a moment, more gently, as she considered how Ava might feel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ava apologised, again, as she moved in to hug Beatrice, only to have her wince at the contact. “I - I’m sorry.” Another apology.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. Please stop apologising.” She put a hand to her midsection as her cheeks flushed. “I broke a few ribs in the explosion, it’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay?!” Ava felt her anger flare up once more, from a part of herself she didn’t recognise. “How is that okay?!” She paced angrily around the small room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava…” Beatrice warned in a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t.” Ava stopped pacing suddenly, as her hands shook. Tears left dark spots on her shirt as she spoke. “I was trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>save </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, save everyone. Instead, I hurt all of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We weren’t going to win that battle, you know that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do I?” Ava questioned, her voice growing louder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Beatrice was exasperated, she hated this. It was too much, too soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“People </span>
  <em>
    <span>died </span>
  </em>
  <span>tonight, Beatrice.” Ava lowered her voice again. “People </span>
  <em>
    <span>died.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” She reached out towards Ava, desperate to help somehow. Ava pulled away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Beatrice was confused at what Ava was asking and distracted by the angry tears in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many people are going to die because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked </span>
  </em>
  <span>up?” Ava’s voice cracked as she continued. “Is it considered okay up to a certain amount? Because I’m pretty sure all of you will try and excuse tonight, saying something along the lines of ‘It’s okay, Ava, you didn’t mean to.’ Or ‘You saved us, you had no other choice.’”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you want me to say…” Beatrice felt cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t either.” Ava admitted. She looked at Beatrice for a long minute. She wanted nothing more than to kiss her, than to share her bed once more. Yet, Ava knew that was the last thing she deserved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, come lay down.” Beatrice gestured towards the bed, as she tried to smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… Can’t.” Ava replied. She was out the door a moment later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A gentle sigh escaped Beatrice’s lips as she sat against the wall, ignoring the screaming pain in her ribs. In her solitude, she cried, gently at first, but soon with more ferocity. Ugly sobs soon wracked her body. This was all too familiar and Ava wanted answers to the same questions she struggled with every night. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Apologies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ava has a few conversations, as well as a shower.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, hear me out. Warrior nun organised crime AU. Yes or no? let me know in comments, although I already have an outline because I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lilith awoke with a shaky gasp, covered in sweat. For a panicked moment, she didn’t realise where she was - this wasn’t her room, nor her bed. She wasn’t even <em> in </em> a bed, instead, she had been slumped over in an overstuffed lounge chair. Groggily, she remembered sitting in Camila’s room and talking, she must have fallen asleep. The room was dimly lit, but Lilith could make out Camila’s small form, gently snoring in bed. With a smile, she stood, before looking back at the chair. <em> How did Camila even get this in here? </em></p><p> </p><p>As quietly as possible, Cat’s Cradle is an old and creaky building, Lilith pulled open the door. She slipped into the dark hallway. She’d expected silence in the corridor, but instead she saw a flash of gold, as Ava phased through a wall. Despite the tiredness that seemed to soak her bones, Lilith decided to follow Ava. They’d become closer friends lately, more than Lilith had anticipated, and she couldn’t ignore the concern that flooded through her. </p><p> </p><p>With nearly inaudible footsteps, Lilith quickly walked through the halls, trying to anticipate Ava’s destination. Given the direction she had been heading, it was mostly likely outdoors. Before opening the heavy door that led outside, Lilith took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. </p><p><br/>“Ava?” She whispered, tentatively. The halo bearer sat on the steps outside, well within range to hear Lilith, although she didn’t reply. Gingerly, Lilith sat next to her, unwilling to give up that easily. After several minutes of silence, save for Ava’s occasional sob, she finally spoke up.</p><p> </p><p>“I feel like I messed up today… More than just today.” Ava drew in a shuddering breath. “I was just starting to feel <em> worthy </em>.” Her voice cracked as she said this. “But now… Now I know I’m not.”</p><p>“The halo is a burden.” Lilith stated simply, catching Ava off guard. It wasn’t what she had expected Lilith to say in the slightest. </p><p> </p><p>“Then why did you want it so badly?” Ava’s question was asked as politely as possible, but curiosity got the best of her. </p><p>“I didn’t know what it meant. Or I did?” Lilith sighed. “Shannon struggled with it too, but the conditions so far have been… <em> Extreme. </em>You’ve gotten a bit of a raw deal, as far as bearer responsibilities go. Plus… My family members always talked about it like it was a great honour - they neglected to mention any of the difficulties.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry.” Ava apologised, for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, as she thought of Lilith’s family life.</p><p>“You don’t need to apologise to me.”</p><p>“That’s debatable.” Ava remarked, remembering the times when she and Lilith were more enemies than friends. </p><p> </p><p>“Fair.” Lilith ran a hand through her hair, a nervous habit. “I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but you need to work hard not to blame yourself for… <em> This. </em>”</p><p>“Easier said than done.” Ava could feel tears rising in her throat.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I was trying to <em> help </em>, I was trying to save you guys. I had a hand on Vincent, I wasn’t going to let him get away, not again.” Ava knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t stop. “He did something, made it worse, called in more wraiths. I don’t know how, but he did. I was scared you guys would…”</p><p> </p><p>“I understand. We all do. No one blames you, Ava.” Lilith tried her best to be reassuring, although it wasn’t a skill that came naturally to her. </p><p>“They don’t need to, I blame myself. People <em> died. </em> Innocent people.” </p><p>“It sounds harsh to say, so I’m sorry in advance, but… It happens. Especially in our line of work.” </p><p> </p><p>“That isn’t helpful.” Ava muttered.</p><p>“I know.” Lilith gave her an awkward pat on the back. “But maybe… Maybe it’s time you and I start training together. You’ve got plenty of power, as do I… We should probably work on control.”</p><p>“You’re ready?”</p><p>“I don’t have a choice, not really. I’m as ready as I think I can realistically be.”</p><p> </p><p>Now Ava placed an awkward hand on Lilith’s back. “I’m proud of you.”</p><p>“Don’t start.” Lilith joked, a smile teasing her lips. </p><p>“As much as I’d love to stay out here and banter with you, I owe Beatrice an apology.” Ava stood, giving Lilith a quick nod.</p><p>“Good luck.” Lilith whispered as Ava went inside.</p><p> </p><p>Her conversation with Lilith hadn’t eased her guilt, if she was being honest. It did, however, give her the strength to bear it for another few minutes. That had to be good enough, at least for now. Ava paused for a moment, hand hovering over the doorknob. It shook, still, they hadn’t stopped since she’d gotten back. Eventually, she managed to open the door, although it’s loud creak announced her arrival. </p><p> </p><p>Beatrice looked at her from against the wall, eyes wet and red. Ava swore she felt her heart break slightly, seeing Beatrice like this caused her physical pain.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have walked out. I’m sorry…” Ava’s voice was reduced to a low rasp.</p><p>“I understand.” Beatrice’s words sounded equally as painful. </p><p>“It’s late but…” Ava crossed the room quickly, kneeling before Beatrice. “Can I please help you get cleaned up? No offense, but you’re still filthy.” Ava attempted a smile but it was unconvincing. </p><p>“Are trying to seduce me, Miss Silva?” Beatrice smiled, more convincingly. </p><p> </p><p>“Would it be a bad thing if I was?” Ava replied, as she let her more negative thoughts drift to the back of her mind. For now.</p><p>“I am a woman of the cloth, remember?” Beatrice paused, searching Ava’s face for a reaction. </p><p>“Right. Sorry. I…” Ava blushed, oblivious to Beatrice’s obvious teasing.</p><p>“I’m messing with you.” Beatrice admitted, as she slowly stood up. She had gotten stiff, sitting in one position too long, her injury only compounding that. Ava gave her a helping hand, without being patronising. </p><p> </p><p>Steam filled the small shower room quickly, as Ava sat on the bench outside. She needed a shower too, but even more so, she needed to be there for Beatrice. Just in case. Her back was turned respectfully, of course, but she couldn’t say the same for her thoughts. </p><p>“Ava?” Beatrice called, from behind the shower door. </p><p>“Yes?” Ava jumped up. “Are you okay?” Her voice was frantic.</p><p>“I’m fine.” Beatrice replied, barely audible over the sound of the water. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>“Beatrice…” Ava sat back down. “That’s not your job.”</p><p>“Isn’t it though? Especially if we are… If we are gir…” Ava smiled like an idiot as she listened to Beatrice try to say the g-word. </p><p>“Is that what we are?” Ava couldn’t help but tease her.</p><p>“I… Well, I… Just…” Beatrice was completely flustered, until she heard Ava’s laughs from the other side of the door. “You’re a jerk.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know.” Ava felt her guilt start to creep back in, but she shoved it out of her mind once more. </p><p>“Ava?” Beatrice’s tone changed suddenly and Ava fell back to reality, rocked from her thoughts. She noticed the shower was no longer running. </p><p>“Yes? Do you need help?” Ava asked for the second time.</p><p>“No. Are you turned around?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” Ava was not only turned away from the shower, but her eyes were also covered. <em> For good measure.  </em></p><p>“You were right. I do feel better after showering.” Beatrice said, as she stepped out from the shower and dried off. </p><p>“What did you just say?”</p><p>“I feel better?” Now it was Beatrice’s turn to tease Ava. </p><p> </p><p>“No, the other thing.”</p><p>“You were right?” Beatrice’s smile was audible in her words. </p><p>“That’s the one. I’ll have to remember you saying that.”</p><p>“You can turn around now.”</p><p> </p><p>Ava did as she was told, feeling her jaw drop as she did. “I forgot another shirt.” Beatrice whispered, as she stood in front of Ava in her pajama pants and a tank top. “Ava?” She asked, with a hint of a smile, as Ava failed to reply.</p><p>“Hmm?” Ava managed, barely. She’d never seen Beatrice’s arms before, only felt them underneath several layers. Condensation hung on her skin, making Ava’s brain work even more slowly than it already had been.</p><p> </p><p>“You could use a shower, too.” Beatrice was fully grinning now. At least part of her was enjoying the attention and Ava’s expression was adorably hilarious. </p><p>“I… Uh…” Ava shook her head, trying to force a word out. “You can go to bed if you want… I don’t… Need help.”</p><p>“I don’t want to leave you alone right now.” </p><p>“Oh.”</p><p> </p><p>They went through the same routine again, with the roles reversed. Now, it was Beatrice who had to try to keep her thoughts pure, with Ava on the other side of the door. </p><p>“I’m sorry I let him get away. Again. I just… I couldn’t leave you to die. All of you. I know that… Not putting the mission first but… It felt wrong.” Ava tried to sound more confident than she felt. </p><p>“You did the right thing, Ava.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t feel like it.”</p><p>“It wasn’t much of a victory.” Beatrice glanced down at Ava’s discarded clothes. They were stiff with blood. Fast healing, or otherwise, Beatrice didn’t imagine that those injuries were painless.</p><p>“The shower is nice, though.” Ava tried to add some levity to their conversation. “There are literal rocks in my hair.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good to know.” Beatrice chuckled, taking Ava’s hint about lightening their conversation. </p><p>“So…” Ava silently chastised herself for the awkwardness. “What do you do for fun?”</p><p>“I…” Whatever Beatrice had been expecting Ava to ask, it certainly wasn’t that. “I’m not much of a <em> hobby </em> person. My parents always told me that time wasted on hobbies could be more efficiently spent.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Ava’s apology was genuine. Caring. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s okay. What do you do?” Beatrice kicked herself the moment the words left her mouth, how could she be so stupid?</p><p>“I liked to read.” Ava stated. Once again, she had responded in a way that Beatrice hadn’t expected. “It was a world I could control, an escape. I know I don’t seem like the smartest person, especially to you. We didn’t have a very big selection of books but… I would stay up all night sometimes, just to have a corner of life that was mine.”</p><p> </p><p>The shower turned off and Beatrice found herself in awe of Ava’s honesty, her vulnerability. “Maybe I could take you to a real library one day? One that isn’t just full of religious texts and warrior nun archives?” Beatrice whispered. Her heart felt full. </p><p>“I’d like that.” Ava stepped out of the shower, in only her towel. </p><p>“Ava…” Beatrice knew what Ava had felt before, perhaps moreso. </p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t planning on… I didn’t bring any clothes.”</p><p>“Do you want me to go grab some for you?” </p><p>“No, that’s okay. I have a better idea.” Ava’s mischievous smile was worrying, Beatrice gave her a confused look. </p><p>“What…?”</p><p>“Nudie run!” Ava laughed, before phasing through the bathroom wall at a run, only in her towel.</p><p>“Ava!” Beatrice shouted, standing up to follow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. To the Test</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ava and Lilith finally begin to test their abilities, while others bet on the outcome.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>:/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beatrice wasn’t ready to admit it yet, but waking up with Ava had quickly become her favourite part of the day. In those few, groggy moments, it was as though all that troubled her was gone. Sunlight came through the window early each morning, bathing Ava in gold. For some reason, it seemed as though Ava attracted more sunlight than anyone else, like an ethereal magnet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Ava, Beatrice would wake early, every day, and be out of bed within seconds of her alarm. Her routine was viciously precise. Calculated. She spent extra, arguably unnecessary, time training each morning. Now, however, she enveloped herself in the warmth of Ava’s bed. It would likely be another few minutes before Ava began to stir and Beatrice was content to enjoy them. Oddly enough, it was within these moments that Beatrice felt closer to </span>
  <em>
    <span>God.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, sunshine…” Ava whispered, a sleep-thickened voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning.” Beatrice replied, pulling herself gently closer to Ava, careful not to irritate her already pounding ribcage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are cuddly this morning.” Ava observed, as she moved her own arms around Beatrice, so gently, it was almost imperceptible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava…” Beatrice paused for a moment, suddenly unsure of her words, yet not the sentiment. “I really like you. With Adriel… I thought I lost you, but when I hadn’t, I ended up losing myself. Yesterday… I don’t want to see you lose yourself. Not after… After everything.” Beatrice completed her thought. Ava looked at her, carefully, dark eyes full of unreadable emotion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ava said, finally.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to apologise. I just… I want to be there for you, like you are for me. Like all of us are for each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do now.” Beatrice interrupted, before placing a gentle kiss on Ava’s forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava didn’t reply. Instead, she pressed her face into Beatrice’s neck. Her movements were light and gentle, unlike nearly everything else Ava touched. She kept her face there, comforted by the proximity, before alighting a tender kiss, just underneath Beatrice’s jawline. Only then did she pull away, their eyes meeting once more. A furious blush covered both their cheeks, sharply contrasted by the white sheets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we get breakfast now?” Ava asked as she tried to hide the smile on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here I thought you were into me.” Beatrice teased in a quiet whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Ava’s face fell. “I am. But… I don’t want to hurt you… And, I’m trying to be respectful of you… Of your boundaries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just teasing you.” Beatrice explained, as she felt a mix of guilt and appreciation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus… You make me a little bit nervous.” Ava’s smile returned as she added the last word.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could say the same to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Beatrice exclaimed her affirmation, almost in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… You always seem so cool and collected, I just thought…” Ava murmured in thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava.” Beatrice sat up, slowly, mindful of her injuries. She pulled Ava’s face close to her own before kissing her properly, hungrily. “It’s all an act, I assure you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava was dumbfounded. She sat there quietly immobile, as Beatrice moved around the room. Despite the pounding pain in her ribcage, Ava couldn’t deny that her movements were beautifully graceful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha..?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Beatrice asked, snapping Ava from her admiration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yes. Sorry. Hungry.” Ava managed to say, neglecting to mention </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> she was hungry for, exactly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Breakfast that morning was an odd affair. They all sat at their usual table, eating their usual breakfasts. Beatrice, Camila, and Mary sported an assortment of wounds from the night prior. Another sister joined them, for a moment, to deliver a message from Mother Superion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, sisters.” She said, with a bright but artificial smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sister Teresa.” Mary growled, failing to hide her contempt for the woman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mother Superion sent me to remind you that you have the next three days off, to recover from your injuries.” Teresa told them, as if she was oblivious to Mary’s tone. “She also requested that you try to take these days to </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woo! Time off!” Ava cheered, raising a fist in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… Her orders don’t extend to the halo bearer, nor the… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Demon.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s best that you walk away now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sister.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Beatrice whispered. She sounded dangerous and threatening, but also exceedingly polite. Thankfully, Sister Teresa took the hint and left, yet not before giving the group one last petty smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t listen to her, Lilith.” Mary reassured Lilith, in response to the heartbreaking look on her face. “She’s a bitch anyhow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re far from a demon.” Ava added. “You’re an asshole at best!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Language, both of you!” Camila chastised them, although she wore a faint grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry.” Ava halfheartedly apologised, while squeezing Beatrice’s leg under the table. “That was cool how you told her to leave, and she just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did.</span>
  </em>
  <span> So badass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, what did I literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>JUST </span>
  </em>
  <span>say?” Camila snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhh! Okay!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lilith, will you train with me today?” Ava asked, a short while later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I have a choice?” Lilith replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. You’re stuck with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, joy.” Lilith feigned disappointment, but in reality, she was grateful for Ava’s insistence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In her desire to not be a distraction, Beatrice headed to the library following breakfast. The window there would give her a perfect view of Ava and Lilith’s training session, even if she wasn’t ready to admit that as her motivation just yet. Nonetheless, she halfheartedly gathered a few books from the dusty shelves, stacking them at a nearby table. She then strategically placed them around her, open to key passages, so she could pretend to be working if anyone happened to join her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very lowkey, Beatrice.” Mary chuckled, as she entered the room. She had seen right through Beatrice’s feeble misdirection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to be a distraction… But I couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>watch.” Beatrice found herself admitting before she could stop herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it.” Mary pulled up a chair so she could look out the window too. “Camila is on her way, she’s bringing up a pot of coffee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My hero.” Beatrice whispered, only then realising the tiredness that hung on her from the day prior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine too.” Mary replied, looking equally tired and bruised. “How are you doing? Since you’ve been back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still hard, some days. But… I’m glad I came back.” Beatrice chanced a quick glance at Ava, who was warming up in the courtyard below. “I’m sorry, again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to keep apologising. I get it.” Mary stated, with simple honesty. Before they could discuss any further, a quiet jingling sound echoed from the library, growing louder by the second. Soon, Camila appeared in the doorway, with a steaming thermos of coffee in one hand, three mugs in the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bea! I figured you’d be joining us, so I grabbed a third cup.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Camila.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She jingled closer and set down the coffee, so she could pull up another chair. Only then did she remove the pile of single euro coins from her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cam?” Beatrice questioned. “What are these for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought we could make this a little more interesting.” Mary answered before Camila had the chance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re both unbelievable.” Beatrice muttered, although she had already begun splitting the coins into three equal piles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>the bad guys here.” Camila agreed, pouring mugs of coffee for the three of them. They all shared a laugh and Beatrice couldn’t deny the warmth that she felt in her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, step right up, ladies and gentlemen!” Mary announced. “Place your bets!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m putting two on Lilith for the first round.” Camila told her as she sat back down, mug in hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.” Mary agreed, sliding two coins across the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Bea. We won’t tell Ava, you can bet against your lover.” Camila reassured her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Beatrice still felt a bit guilty. “One on Lilith.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ava asked Lilith as she stretched in the sunlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Ava stood up. “I’ll be sure to go easy on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No offense, but I’m not sure that will be necessary.” Lilith goaded Ava.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good one. Let’s do this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They gave each other a bow, before circling across the mat. Ava tried to punch Lilith, but she easily deflected the blow. She did the same thing again, then again, with the same outcome each time. After the third time, Lilith stepped inside Ava’s foot, knocking her off balance. She managed to stay upright, but she stumbled back a few steps. Lilith smirked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Lilith crossed towards her, Ava dodged out of her way, using the halo to move faster than she would have been able to otherwise. Lilith gave her a quick look of impressed surprise, but then kicked up at her face. Most likely out of reflex, Ava phased through the blow, causing Lilith to land at an odd angle. Trying to capitalise on the opening, Ava moved forward, but Lilith teleported several feet back, buying herself time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good one.” Ava complimented her as she stepped closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t let you win that easily.” Lilith replied, before jumping forward, and closing the gap between them. She threw several punches towards Ava in quick succession, forcing her to maintain a near-constant phase. It was obvious that Lilith was trying to tire her out. She let up for a moment, seemingly to let Ava catch her breath. With a swift punch, she caught Ava’s chin, knocking her to the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You barely even used your powers!” Ava said as she stood up, wiping the blood from her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t need to!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… Fair. I shouldn’t have phased so much at the end, that was what messed me up.” Ava admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. You’ve gotten a lot better though.” Lilith complimented Ava, her sentiment genuine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Ava paused for a moment, trying to assess her opponent. “Do you want to go again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, it’s only been five minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First of all, rude.” Ava pretended to pout, but quickly took her position and prepared to spar once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice felt her chest tighten slightly as Ava lost and she hoped her reaction didn’t find its way to her face. Mary slid the coins around the table, a satisfying noise, as Beatrice slightly struggled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like they’re going again.” Camila observed. She looked tired that morning and paler than Beatrice remembered. A jagged gash scraped its way across her forehead, just one of many injuries from the night before. The night that everyone had an unspoken agreement not to talk about, even if its revelations hung in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what? Two on Ava.” Mary announced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three on Lilith.” Camila countered, moving a stack of euros towards the center of the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Four on Ava.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are betting with your heart, Beatrice.” Mary joked, although Beatrice shook her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava lunged forward, trying to fight more offensively. With a gracefully quick motion, Lilith sidestepped the attack, claws extending from her fingertips. It was Lilith’s turn now to strike, which she did with gusto. Several successive slashes later, Ava could feel blood dripping from her shoulder. Thankfully, the halo sealed the wounds quickly, although they both had to be careful to avoid the blood that had sprayed across the mat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moving forward, Ava tried to attack, launching an uppercut at Lilith’s chin. She blocked Ava’s strike, although she had to take a step backwards to do so. Ava claimed the extra step, drawing closer to Lilith. It was almost imperceptible, if one was watching from a distance, but Ava’s entire body seemed to glow for a moment. With a golden first, she struck Lilith before she could recover, knocking her opponent to the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Ava jumped in the air, embarrassingly excited, before she gave Lilith a hand and helped her from the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was really good, Ava.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you! And you used your abilities too!” Ava was bristling with excitement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did.” Lilith paused for a moment. “Quick break, and then we’ll go again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Duality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Two conversations occur. One good, one bad.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>:O</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ava fell asleep at dinner that night, her head tucked into her arm. Lilith didn’t even show up, instead opting for a shower and an incredibly early bedtime. With smiles, Beatrice and Mary conversed quietly between themselves, letting Ava sleep, her dinner mostly untouched. Camila had eaten quickly, before making a second tray of food and bringing it up to Lilith’s room, just in case. It was a kind gesture.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the meal, Beatrice managed to rouse Ava long enough to get her to walk down the hall and fall into bed. Barely. With a laugh, Beatrice managed to get Ava’s shoes off and pull some blankets around her. It had been a hard day for both Ava and Lilith, they had sparred for hours. As the betting game got dull, Beatrice and her sisters spent the rest of the day watching, in near silence. It had been oddly beautiful to watch, the pace intensified each round, as Ava and Lilith pushed the limits of their abilities. Now, it seemed as though there was a hangover from it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a smile and a look of admiration at the exhausted halo bearer, Beatrice left the room. Silent footsteps guided her to the library and back, book in hand. As gently as she could, Beatrice climbed into bed alongside Ava, unwilling to be any farther apart than necessary. At some point, she must have fallen asleep with it open, because she woke up the book still in her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camila nervously pushed open Lilith’s door, expecting her to be long asleep after dinner. Instead, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sorry, I… I brought you up some dinner.” Camila announced her presence, nervously. She felt like she was intruding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Lilith’s voice was thick, it was obvious she had been crying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She set the tray on Lilith’s desk and closed the door behind her. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Thank you for bringing me dinner.” Lilith sounded broken and composed simultaneously. Camila crossed the room, kneeling in front of Lilith, and placing a gentle hand on her knee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to try that again?” Camila whispered, her voice warm and calming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She called me a demon. Sister Teresa.” Lilith paused to sob. “Do you think that’s what everyone here thinks of me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know?” Lilith asked. Camila was taken aback, she’d never witnessed this level of insecurity from her sister before. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Mary says it best. Sister Teresa is a… Bitch.” She had trouble saying the word, but Camila found it eventually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t… I don’t feel like the old me anymore.” Lilith admitted, surprising herself as much as Camila. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure if it's a good thing, or a bad thing but… I’m different.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.” Camila paused, trying to sort out the thoughts in her head. “You aren’t the same person as when we met. You’re kinder now, braver. You’re more open and you care more about others. I know that you think that because of… Well, I know you think that there is a darkness in you now… Maybe there is, but if there was anyone strong enough to bear it, it's you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You seem like you’ve thought about this.” Lilith managed a teary smile as she watched Camila ramble slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I care about you. I want you to be okay. I know you can do this, I know you can handle it. But, that all hinges on you believing in yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believing in myself…” Lilith seemed to be testing the words out for herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. It doesn’t matter how much faith I have, how much faith we all have in you… If you have none in yourself.” Camila explained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are a better friend than I deserve, Camila.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Camila couldn’t keep the mischievous grin from her face. “Beatrice, Mary, and I spent the whole day betting on your sparring matches with Ava.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would have done the same.” Lilith halfheartedly returned Camila’s smile. “But you know what I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do, but I still think you’re wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Since the battle at the Vatican, Lilith found herself receiving an increasing amount of hugs. She no longer recoiled or pushed away like she once would have, but she would never instigate one. Except for tonight, where she reached out, pulling Camila tightly into her chest. They stayed like that for several moments, long enough for Camila to wipe the surprise off her face by the time they broke apart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you stay?” Lilith asks in a whisper. “At least, just until I finish eating?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As long as you want.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Lilith stood, taking a seat at the desk. Surprisingly, the food hadn’t gone cold yet. Camila didn’t reply right away, she was busy looking around Lilith’s room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a bit… Spartan in here.” Camila said, finally, hoping she wouldn’t offend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I used to think that any decoration would be a distraction. Or it would keep me from reaching my full potential within the Order. Now, I’m not so sure.” Lilith was making a lot of confessions tonight, but Camila was a kind presence she needed, and easy to talk to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll bring you a plant. Or a throw pillow. Something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat in the dark library, having been careful to enter without being caught. Even now, she read by a small lamp, without turning on the lights in the room. Several archival entries were laid out, detailing the histories of different halo bearers. It was important to learn how they lived and died, plus the different abilities each one possessed. This would be critical information, especially as Ava’s strength seemed to grow by the day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sudden vibration shook her from her reading; her cell phone was ringing. Quickly, she pulled it out, punching the answer key.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s me.” The voice whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you been looking through the historical entries I recommended? Those are the ones that should give us the biggest clues regarding the halo bearer’s weaknesses.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m reading through them right now. Give me time, Vincent. It will be a few days before anyone comes after you. Half the team is injured, the other half is exhausted from their training.” She explained, unable to disguise her frustration. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This training… What can you tell me about it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava and the… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Demon</span>
  </em>
  <span> spent the day testing their powers and working on controlling them. I watched from one of the towers. It was impressive, I won’t lie.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does this training pose any threat to our plan?” Vincent asked, his voice gruff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt it. If we can separate the group and take them out one by one, the halo will be yours soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep doing the research.” Vincent commanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will, I will.” She replied, frustrated with his rudeness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And thank you, Sister Teresa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” She answered, hanging up afterwards. Vincent may be difficult to deal with sometimes, but she had to have faith that this was the right path to follow. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>true</span>
  </em>
  <span> path to follow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sometimes, she had doubts, although Vincent had worked her over so many times, that they had faded to the back of her mind. Before she dwelled on it too much, Sister Teresa dove back into her research, taking notes occasionally, and copying passages about halo bearers’ deaths. She hummed to herself as she worked.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Unphased</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ava and Lilith embark on another day of training.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>eat your vegetables</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Do you three want to join Ava and I outside today, instead of betting in secret?” Lilith asked at breakfast the next morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys were betting on us?!” Ava seemed genuinely surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll come out. There are some technique changes I’d like to help Ava with.” Beatrice replied, ignoring the comment about betting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe this.” Ava shook her head and put it in her hands. “My own friends, betting on me and Lilith’s training. Truly unbelievable. Just when you think you know someone.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dispense with the drama.” Mary laughed at Ava’s ridiculousness. “We bet on lots of other things, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Such as?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long it would take you and Beatrice to… </span>
  <em>
    <span>You know.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Camila chimed in, unable to contain the smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>God.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ava’s cheeks turned slightly red, but Beatrice’s were fully glowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Beatrice coughed. “Let’s get to training, shall we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In her embarrassed distraction, Ava spilled the remains of her breakfast down the front of her shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very suave.” Lilith teased, as Ava looked down at the mess she made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh…” She cleaned the mess from the floor as her sisters laughed, amicably. “I’m going to have to change, I’ll meet you guys outside.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before anyone responded, Ava had taken off running. Beatrice couldn’t help but smile at her adorable enthusiasm, as Ava phased through the wall of the dining room. It was a bit overzealous, sure, but Ava wasn’t the subtle type. In her haste, she collided with someone in the hallway, scattering books across the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” Ava bent down to help collect the various archival tomes. Her breaths were heavy, as her chest heaved from the sprint. Still, she managed to gather the books, handing them in a stack to the person she collided with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you?” Sister Teresa thanked her, surprised at Ava’s kindness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sister Teresa…” Ava whispered, her eyes narrowing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you helped me, your friends all hate me.” Teresa admitted, before she could stop herself. Something about Ava’s presence was disarming, compelling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t hate you, I barely know you.” Ava leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. She still wasn’t intimidating exactly, but her tone made her intention clear. “But if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>call Lilith a demon again, I will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noted.” Sister Teresa replied coldly, unphased by Ava’s ‘threat.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s a good person and she’s been through more than you could ever imagine. Both of you are in the OCS - you’re teammates. This isn’t how you treat people on your team.” Ava took a step back. “You’d do well to remember that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure.” Again, Teresa’s tone was cold, with an edge of dismissal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, good.” Ava, bless her, gave Teresa a big smile. “See you around.” She added with a wave, before taking off back down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was weird.” Sister Teresa whispered to herself, as she stood in Ava’s wake. After a few moments, she continued down the hallway. She had a phone call to make. Vincent would be angry if he was made to wait. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back outside, in a new shirt, Ava rejoined her sisters. She didn’t mention the run-in with Sister Teresa, figuring it was better off left unsaid. Instead, she followed Lilith through their warm up routine, while the others watched. They looked better than they had two days ago, but they were still injured. Every time Ava saw their injuries, she felt a fresh wave of guilt wash over her. With as much focus as she could muster, she tried to push these feelings away. It was imperative, Ava realised, to dedicate as much time as possible to training. That way, no one would get hurt again. She could protect them! She </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to protect them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, are you ready?” Lilith asked, snapping Ava from her internal monologue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not your best comeback.” Lilith replied as she stepped towards her end of the mat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough with the chatter, get to fighting!” Mary called, waving her fist in the air. “I’ve got big money riding on this!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava turned towards Mary, taking her attention off Lilith. “Do you want to cut me in? I’ll throw the match for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, can you focus?!” Beatrice snapped. She didn’t want to be an enforcer, although she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to see Ava improve, which this banter wouldn’t help with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I -” Ava was interrupted by a swift punch across the face, knocking her to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Round one to Lilith!” Lilith laughed as she helped Ava off the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t fair!” Ava cried as she wiped the blood from her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most fights that you’re going to be in won’t be fair. Now come one, let’s do this.” There were no more words after that, instead, both women focused on sparring. Their strikes were tighter than the day before, their movements faster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava struck quickly, several times in a row, although she barely grazed Lilith. They fought at similar speeds, making it difficult for either of them to land a clean hit. With the power of the halo, Ava pushed herself to move faster, attacking at an almost frantic speed. Lilith saw through this, though, teleporting around her opponent, hoping to land an attack from behind. Ava predicted she would do this, and turned quickly, meeting Lilith’s reappearing form with a sharp kick. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sweet revenge.” Ava whispered, as she offered Lilith a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give it to you.” Lilith had sarcasm in her voice, but she also had poorly disguised pride in Ava.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava,” Beatrice called, from beside them. “You’re telegraphing your moves. You’re being too predictable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I…” Ava paused. “How do I </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>be predictable?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me show you.” Beatrice said as she stood up, the pain obvious in her movements. Lilith stepped off the mat and sat next to Camila, enjoying the quick break in the action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Ava replied, her voice shaky. She was surprisingly nervous at the prospect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First, turn your feet like this.” Beatrice instructed, demonstrating for Ava. “You’re leaning back too much with your attacks, try to spring off with your back foot instead. Too much backwards movement makes it really obvious that you’re winding up for an attack.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Ava echoed, as she tried to imitate Beatrice’s movements. Even in injury, Beatrice moved with a refined grace that Ava didn’t possess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here.” With gentle hands, Beatrice guided Ava through the movements, slowly. At each point of contact between them, Ava felt as though she were on fire. There could have been a giant dinosaur in the courtyard with them, but all Ava would have noticed at that moment was the beautiful presence beside her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I get it now, I think.” Ava stuttered, still taken aback. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re getting better. You really are.” Beatrice smiled, before sitting back down. Lilith took her spot once more, as Ava stood still, silently reeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to go again?” Lilith asked, oblivious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… What?” Ava shook her head and tried to regain focus. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Within an instant, they were fighting again. Ava tried to follow Beatrice’s advice, although sometimes Lilith attacked too quickly for her to even form a thought. Mostly, she was reacting on instinct. She clearly wasn’t as focused as before though, half of her mind was still focused on Beatrice. Typical. In her distraction, Lilith landed a heavy kick in the chest, knocking Ava back several paces. Before she could right herself, Lilith dove forward, her movement primal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In anticipation of the impact, Ava tried to phase, but Lilith was too fast. Instead, Ava phased Lilith with her, and they both dropped out of the courtyard, into the root cellar down below. With a heavy thud, Ava felt herself land on a now-broken wooden crate, as Lilith landed on top of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you could do that.” Lilith whispered as she stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither.” Ava’s face betrayed her surprise. “Learn something new everyday, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you know she could do that?” Camila asked, as the three of them sat in the courtyard, suddenly alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I certainly didn’t.” Beatrice replied, her voice quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither, obviously. I definitely would have mentioned that!” Mary added, her voice less quiet than Beatrice’s had been.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From high up in one of Cat’s Cradle’s towers, another set of eyes had seen this demonstration. Sister Teresa had been ordered to watch their training, just in case. Vincent was worried about the powers of the halo bearer, as well as those possessed by Lilith. As if psychically motivated, her phone rang, the noisy vibration making her jump slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” She answered, although she knew who it was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have an idea.” Vincent growled into the phone. At the sound, Sister Teresa recoiled. He sounded less and less human each day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it might be better if we bring the party to them, rather than let the Order bring the party to us. Do you understand?” His tone was unmistakably patronising. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In concept, yes. Obviously, I will need more details.” Teresa knew her frustration was poorly disguised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ask and you shall receive. Meet me tonight. Midnight. You know the spot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well.” She answered curtly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything else to report?” Vincent sounded impatient. “Any news of our </span>
  <em>
    <span>miraculous </span>
  </em>
  <span>halo bearer or her friends?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sister Teresa didn’t answer right away. She thought of her interaction with Ava earlier, as she remembered the promises that Vincent had made to her. A quick sigh escaped her lips as she looked back down at the other sister warriors. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Her teammates, </span>
  </em>
  <span>as Ava put it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing to report.” She answers, finally. On the other end of the line, Vincent sucks in a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you tonight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a moment, the line goes dead and Teresa can’t help but wonder if he believed her.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. In the Calm of Morning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>90% Avatrice, 10% Actual Plot</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry this is a short chapter, the next one will probably be up later today (and longer). but this is where i needed to cut it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You did well today.” Beatrice whispered as she laid beside Ava, long after the sun had set.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really think so?” Ava tried to sound hopeful, but her thoughts were far away from their conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do. Maybe one day you’ll be a match for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt that.” Ava laughed, humourlessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice paused for a moment, looking at Ava, then back up at the ceiling. “What are you not saying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Ava asked, trying to play dumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d think you’d be excited, or at least somewhat happy. I wasn’t lying to you when I said that you did well today.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t seem like it.” Beatrice sounded disappointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Ava sighed. “I am, genuinely. I need to be able to protect you, protect all of you. I need to be able to fight better. Control the halo. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, especially -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop.” Beatrice interrupted her. “No one is angry at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They don’t need to be!” Ava felt her voice crack as tears threatened her eyes. “I’m plenty angry at myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Ava echoed. She had expected Beatrice to launch into an explanation of the Order and the sacrifices they needed to make, and so on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, why?” Beatrice looked at Ava expectantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got hurt because of me, as did Mary and Camila. Because I literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>blew up. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yet even in that, Vincent still got away! Before, with Adriel… That was my fault too. If I had just fought better…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I used to think you were so self-centered.” Beatrice whispered, half to herself. “I told you as much to your face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think I was. Or at least, I’m not anymore. Now you’re… Centered around everyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>but </span>
  </em>
  <span>yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could I </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>be centered around you?” Ava asked as she turned towards Beatrice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t change the subject, Ava.” Beatrice replied, trying to ignore the warmth she felt at Ava’s words, the fluttering in her stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that you’ve been working hard. But if guilt is your motivation, you’ll never reach your true potential. Guilt is a weight, it will only pull you down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you think?” Beatrice replied, her tone dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s not easy. I’m not saying that you need to let go of your guilt. I just… Don’t let it be what drives you. It’s a burden you’ll likely carry for life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a wise woman.” Ava said, without a hint of sarcasm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what all the ladies tell me.” Beatrice’s façade cracked as she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, do they?” Ava returned Beatrice’s grin as she turned to face her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed.” She answered, pressed a kiss against Ava’s forehead. The halo bearer exhaled slowly; she felt calmer than she had in days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so happy you came back. I couldn’t do this without you.” Ava whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, I…” Beatrice swallowed nervously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” She could feel her heart hammering against her chest as she looked into Ava’s eyes. “I came back for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For… Me?” Ava stuttered, hoping that her shirt could hide the light she could feel from the halo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For you.” Beatrice answered, more resolute this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava felt the fire under her skin as she pulled herself closer to Beatrice. Their lips met, without any of the calmness of their other kisses. Rather, a frantic energy consumed them both. With confident strength, Beatrice slipped a hand to Ava’s waist, tugging the halo bearer’s hips to meet her own. An unintelligible noise escaped Ava’s lips at the movement, much to Beatrice’s delight. It was several hours before either woman found sleep that night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Teresa stood out on the pier, looking over the black waves. There wasn’t much of a moon that night, it was as though she was standing over the abyss. A dark figure, clad in black, strode to meet her. His energy was palpable from several feet away, as his steps creaked on the wooden planks of the pier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sister Teresa.” He breathed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vincent.” She replied, trying not to shiver. It was a warm night, but she felt suddenly cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready to hear my plans? We’ll have to move quickly once I tell you, I want to attack tomorrow.” He wasted no time with greetings or pleasantries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He launched into a detailed discussion, without any further hesitation. Beneath them, waves crashed into the sand, a peaceful sound against the violent plans being explained. Vincent gave her approximate timelines and instructions. Even in the dark, Teresa could see the glint in his eye, a horrifying hint of his slip from humanity. As he talked about the wraith demons he could conjure, she couldn’t keep herself from interrupting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“This is a bad idea! Why can’t you see that?!” Teresa snapped, before freezing at the realisation of her indiscretion. A sharp slap echoed against the waves below as he struck her. The taste of iron filled her mouth as her head snapped to the side. Without decorum, she spit the blood to the ground and wiped her mouth, before looking back at Vincent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare </span>
  </em>
  <span>you question me. You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sor -” Sister Teresa cut herself off, she wasn’t sorry. “You aren’t Adriel. You weren’t meant to hold this power. Can’t you see it’s killing you? You’re barely a man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On the contrary…” He stretched his words dramatically. “I feel better than I ever have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>God!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Vincent interrupted her, his voice shaking as he shouted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Teresa didn’t answer, instead opting to hang her head in fealty. Whatever doubts she had felt before were now magnified tenfold. Yet, there were no other options for her anymore. Logically, she knew that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have preparations to make. You know what needs to be done.” Vincent bit, breaking into her thoughts, before walking away. He didn’t even allow her time to reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day started as any other, with no indication of the darkness to come. Like always, Beatrice admired the still-sleeping Ava as sunlight swept across the room, highlighting her in gold. With a gentle hand, she traced Ava’s collar bones as they gently curled into her shoulders. Most of their clothes were strewn around the room; somehow comically. Beatrice felt a smile creep across her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm… Good morning.” Ava whispered, as she stretched an arm around Beatrice. Suddenly, she froze, waking up completely. “Beatrice! You don’t have a shirt on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t either.” She laughed, meeting Ava’s panicked face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we going to… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hell?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ava’s eyes were wide. “Are you going to get in trouble?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, relax. It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Ava pressed her face into Beatrice’s shoulder, inhaling deeply. “I like waking up with you.” She admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like… I like a lot of things with you.” Beatrice knew she should feel more awkward than she did, but the calmness of the morning was intoxicating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re bold this morning.” Ava grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never know which day might be your last.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Loss of Sanctuary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An unwelcome guest arrives at the Cradle and everyone has choices to make.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>beca has more chemistry with chloe than she does with jesse, dont @ me</p><p>(will any of my notes actually be relevant? NO)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lilith awoke to a knock on her door. Like Beatrice, she was normally out of bed incredibly early, well before they were required. Training with Ava, however, was exhausting work and she had missed her alarm. With a sigh and a stretch, she lightly rolled out of bed, answering the door with a yawn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Camila stood in the doorway, a large box in her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. I missed my alarm, it’s good you’re here.” Lilith rasped, unable to immediately shake the sleep from her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I brought you some stuff.” Camila raised the box in her arms slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Lilith stepped aside, allowing her to pass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here’s a plant for your windowsill.” From within the box, she withdrew a small pot, with a single flower. “It’s an orchid. I thought it would be perfect for the light in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was very thoughtful, thank you Camila.” Lilith whispered, as she stood still, watching the younger girl unpack more things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome. Here, I also got you a second blanket, since it’s always freezing in here.” She pulled out a large, blue throw. “I didn’t know what colour you might want, so I guessed. It’s not the most exciting, but it will still spice up the room a little.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Lilith repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also…” From the bottom of the box, she withdrew a thick envelope. “I had these printed for you, I thought it would be nice to pin them above your desk, maybe?” Camila seemed more nervous, timid about her last gift.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are these?” Lilith asked as Camila handed her the parcel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With slightly trembling fingers, she opened the envelope, revealing dozens of printed photos. Each glossy picture captured moments between Lilith and her sisters. Tears burned her eyes as she reached into her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been carrying this around since…” Lilith held it out to Camila. It was the photograph from Lilith’s ‘funeral,’ although it was now heavily wrinkled and frayed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I thought it could use some company.” Camila replied quietly, as she too fought tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Seriously.” Lilith said as she laid the new photos out across her barren desk. She didn’t start hanging them up yet, though. Breakfast was starting soon and this wasn’t a task she wanted to do in a rush. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” Camila moved towards the door. “I’ll see you at breakfast, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, Lilith’s stomach rumbled loudly. “I’m just like Ava.” She laughed. “But yes, I just need to change and then I’ll be there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After Camila left, Lilith did change, but she also indulged in a quick cry. Before… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she had been such a different person, a different sister warrior. Nearly everything she did was done alone, or with as little contact as realistically possible. She worked hard to keep friendships at surface level. All of her life, Lilith was taught that connections like this only made you weaker. If she wanted to be strong, it would have to be alone. Now, Lilith knew that the bonds of friendship only made her better.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, sunshine!” Ava greeted Lilith as she joined her sisters at breakfast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Must we do this every time?” Lilith asked, although she wore a kind smile as she sat down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must.” Ava was jokingly adamant. “So… How is everyone doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you acting so weird?” Mary questioned her, giving Ava a scrutinising look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not!” Ava answered, a little bit too fast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Camila, what do you think?” Mary enlisted the help of a friend. “Do you think Ava is acting weird?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be fair, Ava is nearly </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>acting weird.” She replied as she gave Ava a grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See? For me, weird is normal!” Ava was talking too fast and Beatrice kicked her under the table. “Ow!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary’s eyes widened as she stared at Ava, then at Beatrice, then back at Ava. “You two are so obvious.” She whispered, trying to keep a straight face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are… What?” Beatrice managed to choke out. She could feel her blood pressure rising as each second of this conversation continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t!” Camila squealed, covering her mouth with her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ava mouthed at Beatrice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did!” Lilith exclaimed, uncharacteristically loud. “Mary, pay up!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys couldn’t have waited another month or two?” Mary asked them as she slid a couple bills across the table to Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Had I known you were betting on it…” Ava pretended to stroke her non-existent beard. “Still no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was cool in the courtyard that morning, a nice reprieve from two days of heat and blazing sun. Mary was notably absent, she had gotten permission to train in any contact-free disciplines, so naturally she was at the range. Camila and Beatrice still had a few more days to heal though, so they sat as an audience to Ava and Lilith’s sparring. This was becoming a comfortably familiar routine for them. If they focused on it, everyone could almost forget the threat that still loomed over them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was obvious that Ava had improved, too, she won half of the rounds that morning. In the fights without powers, though, that number was not quite as impressive. Still, Beatrice found herself giving Ava less and less advice - she didn’t need as much. At midday, Mary rejoined them with a smile, shotgun in one hand, picnic basket in the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is anyone hungry?” She asked loudly, as Ava knocked Lilith to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mary!” Ava turned in excitement. “You never have to ask!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the day warmed up, the five of them ate al fresco, as the courtyard emptied out. Pretty soon, they were alone. That is, until an unwelcome face exited the building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mother Superion needs a quick word with the de -” Sister Teresa pauses for a moment. “With Lilith.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Lilith bites, standing up to head towards the building, barely acknowledging Teresa’s presence. After a moment, Teresa follows Lilith back inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was weird.” Camila whispered, just in case. “Since when does Mother Superion pull us out of training for random meetings? Especially individually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair point.” Beatrice felt as though there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>she was missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something’s wrong.” Ava choked, dropping her fruit to the ground. The hair on the back of her neck was standing on end and she could hear the telltale scream of wraiths in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she stood, several sister warriors ran along the upper walls of Cat’s Cradle, their weapons pointed down at Ava and her friends. Telltale red wisps were visible, even from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They're possessed.” Ava mumbled as her sisters looked up towards the garrisoned force along the walls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even without the halo, I think that much is obvious.” Mary breathed, standing with her gun ready.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With an air of grandeur, Vincent strode through the front gate. It was obvious that he controlled the situation, thus, he made everyone wait for him. As he approached, Ava couldn’t help but glare, as did her sisters. There was something </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong </span>
  </em>
  <span>about him, but it was hard to place. It was almost as if there was a second person within him, that was trying to claw its way out. Almost as if he was holding that force in with sheer willpower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, I’d like to thank you.” He spoke as he got closer to them, stopping about ten paces away. “I had a much different plan, but since you graciously blew up your friends, I could move everything forward on my schedule.” There it was, that naggingly cold, guilty feeling. Ava shuddered slightly, the guilt mixed with Vincent’s oddly stilted voice was unbearable. A voice in her head, maybe within the halo, urged her to remember Beatrice’s words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Guilt is a weight...Don’t let it be what drives you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mother Superion looked down from her office in horror. “Turn around.” Teresa growled. Mother Superion obeyed, as she slowly rotated herself towards the intruder. Lilith was standing in front of Teresa, held hostage by the Divinium blade at her neck. Despite the dire situation, Lilith didn’t look scared, only aggravated. With an almost imperceptible look, Mother Superion glanced at Lilith, as if to say: </span>
  <em>
    <span>you can get out of this, why aren’t you?</span>
  </em>
  <span> To which, Lilith winked, since Teresa couldn’t see her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sit down. Don’t try anything.” She barked, nodding towards the chair. Once again, Mother Superion did as she was told. In their close proximity, Lilith could feel Sister Teresa’s hands shaking, the nervousness easy to detect. Her face was slick with sweat, despite the cool weather, and her eyes betrayed her internal panic. Lilith gave Mother Superion a small, yet confident smile, which she pretended not to see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with you?” Ava asked. Desperately, she wanted to say something cool to Vincent, something a hero would say. Something a warrior nun would say. Instead, she found herself preoccupied with his new, yet inherent wrongness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were never very polite.” Vincent took a step closer and Ava could sense her sisters tighten around her. “Now, now…” The sound of several guns cocking filled the air. “Let’s not do anything hasty. No one </span>
  <em>
    <span>needs </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get hurt today. Unless, of course, they want to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will shoot you.” Mary sounded angry, rightfully so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you won’t.” He gestured to the dozens of sister warriors that had weapons trained on them. “Because if you do, I’ll have you and your friends gunned down in an instant.” From then on, Mary bit her tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad we’ve reached an understanding.” Vincent smiled, although there wasn’t a trace of goodwill in it. “Ava, could you come here? There’s something I need from you.” Ava felt rooted to the spot. She looked around, quickly weighing her options. Beatrice’s face cleary said </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t you fucking dare, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but what choice did she have?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With shaking limbs, she forced herself forward, trying not to recoil as Vincent laid a hand on her shoulder. “See?” He pulled out a Divinium blade and gestured around with it, pulling Ava closer to himself.. “I’m a man of my word. No one is getting hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one except me, at least.” Ava whispered, unable to help herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very astute.” Vincent muttered, as he lifted the knife, poised to cut the halo from Ava’s back. Before anyone could do more than scream, Ava smiled at her friends, before she phased Vincent into the root cellar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From Mother Superion’s office, there was quite a view of the show. Lilith had a hunch that Ava was going to do exactly that, unsurprising, since she was on the receiving end of the same move. As Vincent disappeared with Ava, Sister Teresa gasped audibly, giving Lilith the moment she needed. With a well-placed elbow and a sharp kick, Teresa lay gasping on the ground. Instead of wasting time running through the halls, Lilith teleported back down to the courtyard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Lilith flickered back into existence, the earth seemed to shake as the root cellar blew open. The explosion knocked old stone and brick all over the place, as a cloud of dust filled the air. After a few oddly silent moments, Vincent came flying through the air, which was softly being illuminated by the halo. He landed hard, in a pile of rubble several feet away. Ava climbed out from the crater, walking purposefully towards him. Her skin seemed to glow with the essence of the halo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Ava could close the gap, Vincent raised a fist into the air, summoning the wraiths. With haunting screams, they exited their hosts, dropping the army of sister warriors to the ground. Ava hoped that the possession hadn’t killed them. One by one, the demons flew into Vincent, dissolving into his chest. His eyes filled with black as he stood, his veins turning red with their strength. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that normal?” Ava called to her sisters as she stood in front of the demonic Vincent. He stood there, immobile for a moment, twitching slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s definitely not common.” Mary said as she fired a shell into him. It did nothing. Before anyone else could reply, Vincent ran forward. He was aiming for Ava, of course, and she braced herself to try and stop him. Adriel’s powers, combined with the wraiths, were too much, and he threw Ava across the courtyard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beatrice, Camila, and Mary pelted after him as he tried to catch up to Ava, but he was impossibly fast. Lilith teleported herself in front of him, but was knocked away, as though she weighed nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vincent, </span>
  <em>
    <span>STOP!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Teresa screamed as she ran from the building. Vincent had been standing over Ava, crumpled on the ground, but he turned to face her. He looked at her like a wild animal might look at a human, a hint of recognition, but mostly aggression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned back to Ava, who was just starting to stand up. The fatigue and injury of battle were exceedingly obvious in her heavy stance. With a red-streaked hand, Vincent began to attack once more, only to have his arm pulled away a split second later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough!” Teresa screamed, tears coating her face. “This isn’t what you said it would -” Vincent pushed her to the ground before she could finish her sentence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the momentary distraction provided by Teresa, Ava’s sisters caught up to Vincent. Mary’s shots echoed against the buildings, as everyone else tried to fight him without a weapon. It was dangerous though, with his strength, as Camila quickly learned. She miscalculated a step, slightly, and Vincent capitalised. She was knocked from her feet, rolling heavily against the stones. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without the Divinium sword, Ava didn’t have a ton of options. She would have to get creative, since it was obvious she and her sisters couldn’t hold out forever against whatever Vincent had become. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get back!” Ava shouted, trying to summon all the strength that she had left. Thankfully, a quick glance around confirmed that her sisters had listened. Even Vincent seemed surprised, as he stopped attacking for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as soon as he stopped, he started again, lunging for Ava. She stretched out her hands, which were bathed in gold. With the strength of the halo, Ava managed to wrestle Vincent to the ground. As she channeled its energy, each strike against Vincent seemed to exorcise another wraith, sending them streaking back into the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seeing that Ava had him mostly under control, with Mary watching, Beatrice closed the gap between her and Sister Teresa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You betrayed us!” She shouted, knocking her to the ground with a swift punch. “All of us!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but I -” Teresa tried to defend herself, but Beatrice wasn’t having it. All she could see was red, because after everything, the threat had come from inside. A sister she had </span>
  <em>
    <span>trusted</span>
  </em>
  <span> put Ava in danger. Put all of them in danger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No excuses.” Beatrice muttered, as she threw another hit into Teresa’s face. Her old and new injuries alike ached with the movement, but she didn’t feel a thing. As she raised her arm, a hand caught her shoulder, pulling her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop, Beatrice.” Ava said, her voice thick with blood. “She’s not worth it. She’s not worth losing yourself over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of a pistol cocking caught Ava’s attention, a moment too late as Vincent raised his weapon. He swayed slightly as he stood, his body barely hanging onto life after what he had done. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much strength to pull a trigger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?” He asked, pointing the gun at Beatrice. “Pity, what a waste.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Redemption?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The outcome of the battle is revealed, also pizza.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>pour mon petit chou chou</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Time seemed to slow for a moment as Vincent pulled the trigger without hesitation. Ava could see her sisters all converging on him, their faces wild, but it was too little, too late. A scream rose in her chest as she squeezed Beatrice’s hand, channeling what little bit of energy the halo had left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Within a moment, she phased with Beatrice, as the bullet passed through her. As they re-solidified, there was a gasp from behind them. Teresa. She looked up at Vincent, then at Ava, as a thick sheet of red coated her shit. Her knees buckled as she fell to the ground; but she was dead before she got there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before anyone could take a breath, a second gunshot rang out, and Ava felt herself go cold in fear. Turning back around, however, she saw Mary standing over Vincent. He too was on the ground, soaking the cobblestones with more blood. The shotgun smoked slightly as Mary lowered it back down to her side. “I called dibs, remember?” She whispered grimly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ava stood alone, lighting the row of candles above the casket. Mother Superion obviously didn’t condone a proper service, but there was a small funeral nonetheless. With a sad look over the empty pews, she felt a few tears slip down her cheeks. She pressed a shaking hand against the cold, wooden coffin, and spoke to no one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know we weren’t friends but… Well, you worked with my enemy. With </span>
  <em>
    <span>our </span>
  </em>
  <span>enemy. In the end though…” Ava paused as painful flashbacks seared through her mind. Squeezing Beatrice’s hand, phasing them both with the little energy she had left. Teresa’s shocked face as the bullet hit her instead. “In the end, you did the right thing. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you too.” Ava whispered, completing her thought once the flashbacks were over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Ava could fully focus on the guilty weight that hung over her, a hand gripped her shoulder. “You’re a good person, Ava.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, I -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No arguments. You are.” Beatrice offered her a small smile and Ava returned it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for coming.” Ava mumbled, remembering the anger that everyone at the OCS harboured for Teresa after the attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t come for her. I came for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Ava couldn’t help but ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’d feel guilty.” Beatrice replied, wrapping an arm around Ava’s waist and pulling her closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were right.” Ava sighed, thankful for the contact between her and Beatrice. “I wish I could have saved you both. If I had a second longer, or a little bit more energy, I could’ve -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do this to yourself. You’ll drive yourself insane if you fixate on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>what-ifs</span>
  </em>
  <span> of every battle.” Beatrice’s words were commanding, yet soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think she redeemed herself?” Ava questioned, as she looked at the somber scene before her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not our decision to make.” Beatrice gazed up at the cross as she spoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the hallway, Ava’s sisters were waiting for her. While they hadn’t shed many tears over Teresa’s death, they did feel empathetic towards Ava. Her guilt had been palpable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got permission from Mother Superion for all of us to leave tonight.” Lilith told them after a long and teary group hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah?” Mary asked, with the hint of a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camila and I thought it might be nice to leave the Cradle for a few hours, do something fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Define </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Beatrice said as she reached down for Ava’s hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Camila shrugged. “Get food, ice cream maybe. Walk on the beach.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ice cream?” Ava finally looked up at Camila, her eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Ava’s convinced.” Mary laughed.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“As am I.” Beatrice gave Ava’s hand a squeeze as she spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the insanity of the day before, the evening seemed calm. Ava, Beatrice, and Mary sat in the sand, watching the water as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky. Meanwhile, Camila and Lilith were picking up pizza, something that Ava was incredibly excited for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did well yesterday.” Mary told Ava, a genuine compliment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Ava bowed her head slightly, unable to shake the feeling that she could have done better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously. I know you’re beating yourself up about the whole… </span>
  <em>
    <span>You know.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But you were really impressive.” Mary continued, as Beatrice stretched her hand over Ava’s. They’d maintained at least one point of contact nearly the entire day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mary.” Ava tried to force a smile. “Good thing you made me come back, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good thing.” Mary laughed. “It’s in my best interest. You make Beatrice so much more bearable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Beatrice yelled, pretending to be offended. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s true!” Mary defended herself and then turned back to Ava. “Before you came she was a real stickler for the rules and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>smiled. It was training this, and practicing that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can believe it.” Ava whispered, with a coy smile at Beatrice, who gave her a joking punch in the arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough fighting! Dinner is served!” Camila shouted as she plodded through the sand. Lilith followed close behind her, five pizza boxes in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Music to my ears.” Ava mumbled as Lilith and Camila rejoined the group. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Lilith peeked into the top box. “Pepperoni and hot sauce, that’s for Mary.” She passed the box over, and whispered under her breath. “Odd choice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t knock it until you try it.” Mary replied, a content grin on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be sure.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next is…” Camila checked the next box, before passing it to Beatrice. “Veggie pizza.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vegetables?! On pizza?!” Ava shouted, unable to contain herself. “Honestly… Beatrice, I want to break up.” Beatrice only laughed in response, knowing that Ava was joking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava, I didn’t know what you wanted on your pizza, so Lilith and I got you pineapple. We felt like, if anyone were to like that, it’d be you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you!” Ava answered enthusiastically, forgetting about Beatrice’s atrocity of a pizza choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cheers!” Mary said, lifting one of her slices. “We’ve lived to die another day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morbid, but okay.” Lilith muttered, mimicking the motion alongside everyone else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They say on the beach for hours, eating and laughing. No one was surprised that Ava liked pineapple on her pizza, it was the subject of jokes for weeks to come. Somehow, the conversation stayed light for the rest of the day. Given the levity, everyone felt as though there was some distance between the horror of the day before. That maybe, given time, they would be alright again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Ava announced suddenly, her voice oddly serious. “I’m just going to ask what everyone is wondering, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…?” Beatrice whispered curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we get ice cream now? Please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ava, I thought you were going to say something serious!” Mary pretended to chastise Ava, although she wore a huge smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s on you, when am I ever serious?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a fair point, Mary, you’ve got to admit it.” Lilith replied, standing up with a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of you are ridiculous.” Camila joined in. “Now, let’s all be supportive of our halo bearer, and go get ice cream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finally!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ava, can you wait a second?” Beatrice’s words were barely audible, but Ava nodded. “You guys can go on ahead, we’ll catch up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get lost, you two.” Mary said as she walked past, giving Beatrice a quick wink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were alone, Beatrice took Ava’s hands in her own. “What is it?” Ava couldn’t disguise the worry in her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saved me yesterday.” Beatrice stated the obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. I’d do the same a thousand times over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve always admired your honesty and ability to say exactly how you feel. You don’t always seem bound by the ridiculous conventions that we… That </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>am.” Beatrice knew she was circling what she wanted to say, but she was nervous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s the… Complicated childhood and unhealthy coping mechanisms, what can I say?” Ava joked to try and alleviate some of the apprehension she felt, but it was unsuccessful. Whenever she was alone with Beatrice, she felt like her stomach was doing backflips and her skin was on fire. Granted, eating an entire pizza can have the same effect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ava…” Beatrice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too.”</span>
</p>
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